Through These Eyes
by SilkenNightmare
Summary: Chapter nine! After a long struggle, Sora and Riku finally meet up, but where do they go from here? Plus a little Antiaction. I beg you to read and review. RikuxSora pairing.
1. Kingdom Dark

Authors note: I really hope this formatted okay; I've never done a text upload before. Okay, this is my first kingdom hearts fan fic. It will be Shonen-ai (RikuXSora) eventually; at least, I believe it will be, it might never get to that. It will be multi-chaptered and it is a crossover fic of sorts. Other games are used as the worlds though no character from the other games will really take the spot light, it is, above all, a kingdom hearts fan fic. Feel free to suggest possible game world's in reviews. Constructive criticism desired, no flames please, if you don't agree with the paring that's cool, just don't read, or if you do read, berate me for my spelling and grammatical errors instead of my choice of parings. Oh, yeah, Kairi is in this fan fic as a useful non bitchy character, although she doesn't get many parts because she is not fighting big monsters. 

Disclaimer: I don't own it. That makes me sad. I also have no money, I had to spend it all on repairing my stupid PS2 and buying video games and merchandise, so you're getting it all eventually anyway. If you sue me all I can do it write a big IOU and a note of apology.     

Through These Eyes

Chapter One

"Kingdom Dark"

"Living risky, never scared, wander closer to the edge. 

Nothing valued think no fear, always wondering

Why you're here."

-Life of my Own, Three Doors Down

  Blood poured from a dark sky. Sheeting down, heavy and hard, a mockery of the fresh clean rain that used to fall here. Across the distance of the world two pairs of blue eyes stared with defiance. The great darkness laughed a booming frightening roll of thunder to match the red rain. One boy winced, pulling back while moving forward. Another boy held his ground, face near expressionless. In sync but without knowing it they struck. One gold cast key meeting the shadow and sinking in, sinking through. The other, used more like a proper key, sought the great lock, sending a bolt of pure power into it. The sky flared, white light leaping through the sky. Two faces smiled.

  And then the darkness laughed and the door to the world swung wide. 

  Dark blue eyes stared in terror at the opening door before the boy flung himself at it, pushing it back. 

  Aqua blue eyes stared as well, though they contained more shock than fear. There wasn't even a mark on the beast before him, though the keyblade had gone straight through its leg. Letting his weapon vanish, he prepared to fight with his hands. 

~~~~~~~~~~

  Kairi gazed out her window at the night sky. She was the only one who really remembered Sora and Riku. It had only been a few months, but people who knew them no longer recognized their names. Even their parents had only vague feelings of sadness. Riku's mother claimed she had never had a child, everyone knew she couldn't have a child, and looked down whenever she heard her lost son's name. Sora's mother thought he had died as a toddler, lost to the sea and said that she tried not to think about them. Kairi's own parents watched her more closely, feeling uneasy though they didn't know why.  

  The world was struggling to move on, to continue, without its two protectors. Kairi, a princess of the heart offered it some stability, but her loneliness and worry kept it from really healing. So it did the next best thing, pretended this had never happened, that it had never been torn asunder, poisoned, raped, fought over. For now, it was the only way it could continue. 

  Kairi stared up at the moon, and prayed that her friends were alright, would be alright.  

~~~~~~~~~~

  Sora's tears made trenches in the blood coating his face as he struggled against the door. This moment seemed so familiar; he kept expecting to see Riku's face on the other side, trapped in the darkness with writhe ring shadows. The tears came faster. "Why won't it work? Why won't it close...?" Desperation and exhaustion colored his voice, still high pitched and young. He shoved harder, closing his eyes. He didn't know where Donald and Goofy were anymore, he couldn't find Riku or the King, his only comfort was his complete confidence that Kairi, at least, was safe. He hoped to god that the others were okay too. 

  Across the world, fighting a losing battle, Riku had less faith in goodness. Not even he knew where he was. He had stopped trying to work it out, choosing rather to just go on, to fight his way back home. Mickey had been ripped away by a vicious wind a week before, he had cried back that everything would turn out alright, as long as they never gave up. Riku had his doubts, but he had never been one to quit or yield, so he toiled on, searching aimlessly through lost, unlocked worlds. He struck out viciously, calling forth his keyblade and hacking at the dark monster's glowing eye. The blade went through, the hilt struck, and still the creature seemed uninjured. It swung sharp foot long claws out, they grated against the keyblade's hilt, leaving deep gouges in the dull metal. He shook his head, hefting the blade again, his last wish that Sora and Kairi would get home, be safe. He pushed forward, bringing down the keyblade across the darkness' twisted face, hands cut and blood dripping down his wrists. He felt the weapon slip, slide through, and stop, catching hard. The horrible laughter halted mid cackle and the clawed hands came forward, scraping across it face and the glistening key lodged within. Riku barely managed to maintain his grip. Black blood dripped down the key and burned his hands as the thing screamed and jerked. He was pulled along with it as it reared back, throwing its head, dying.

  He smiled savagely, jerking the blade free and falling to the ground. He landed in a half kneel, rolled forward and stabbed upward. The blade held true, cut deep into the monsters chest, touched the bleakness that might, in another world, have been its heart. 

  The darkness let out one last sobbing cackle as it fell heavy upon the tainted keyblade master, wondering for the first time why the thing that smelled so like its master would want to destroy what he himself had created. 

~~~~~~~~~~

  Sora beat on the huge door with his keyblade, the dull ringing of metal against stone a strange accompaniment to the monster far away. The door was closed, the keyblade had awakened, shined brightly, and gilded the door with a golden light, forcing it shut on black tendrils and misshapen hands. The gold remained, filling the small cracks, glowing slightly, holding the door shut, but the keyhole remained and the door shuddered in the world's frame as the monsters on the other side pounded against it. It would not lock. Behind him it felt as if the world exploded, darkness spread, pouring into the sky like thick black smoke. He pounded on the door, desperate to stop this, to protect the world's heart before that poisonous cloud destroyed the door for good. 

   Later he wouldn't remember how it got there, one minute he was uselessly waving his blade, the next he was picking a different one up from the ground. It was scorched and bloody, something that looked suspiciously like a hand was locked to the hilt. Sora kicked it off, too stressed to bother with disgust or fear. He hefted the new keyblade and instantly a blue light shot from it. The keyhole glowed, clicked, disappeared. 

 Locked. 

  Sora collapsed back against it, dragging both new and old blades into his lap and sobbed with relief. 

~~~~~~~~~~

  She realized she was dreaming. She was standing in an open air market place, warm gritty sand under her bare feet, watching Sora, her best friend Sora, leap from one high beige platform to another, fire arcing between his fingers, ready to let fly. She gaped, Sora had never been weak, but he had never been like that either. When leaping from tree to tree at home he fell more often than not, but now, he wasn't even looking at the ground. 

  "He's gotten better." 

  She spun at the familiar voice, turning to see Riku leaning back against a carpet seller's stall. He was resting his elbow on a black keyblade and drinking chilled orange juice from a plastic bottle. He was encased in blue and black armor and untouched by dust of the world. "You coming to watch the fireworks later?" 

  Kairi glared at him. "You dared him to do this didn't you?" she said, waving her hand in Sora's general direction, "He's gonna break his neck!"

  Riku shook his head, manner nonchalant. "Not me. He dared himself."   

  "Right. Sure. It's always you."

  "Believe what you want, but I'm telling you, I had nothing to do with _this_." He smiled at her, and pushed away from the stall, "Don't forget about the fireworks, we'll be watching for you." He inclined his head politely to her, before hefting his keyblade, and resting it on his shoulder. He walked away down the narrow pathway, deeper into the city, pausing briefly to shout, "Hey, Sora! Don't fall!" at his brown haired friend. 

  Kairi rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue out at his back. If she were older, or had been raised by different parents she might have flipped him off. 

  "Princess," a slightly disapproving voice said, "You're mother's waiting for you."

  Kairi looked imploringly up at her silver haired guardian, "But I have to stay for the fireworks..." She trailed off, eyebrows drawing together as she reached back into her mind, trying to remember, "Oh my God," she looked up, eyes wide, "where _are_ the fireworks? What if they've already started?" 

  The silver haired man ruffled his wings, stretching out the damaged one with the careful patience of one long used to his handicap. He looked up into the darkening sky, "There will be no fireworks," he reached out, placing a hand on her shoulder, pulling her gently along with him.

  She stood her ground, looking up at him, "But Riku, he said..."

  Sephiroth shook his head, "There are no fireworks." 

  She woke up icy cold though the night held a wet heat. Tears slipped down her face, and she didn't know why, the dream hadn't been frightening, or sad, or painful. It just left her feeling empty, used up, as if something important had been taken from her, or like something wonderful had ended, and she could never go back, never have it again. And, for some reason, she kept thinking of Riku's midnight black blade, and the way Sora fought with his hands. She shivered once more, pushing herself up out of bed and walking down to her parents' room. 

~~~~~~~~~~

  Riku wiped some of the gore from his face and surveyed his surroundings. The dark beast had faded into nothing, leaving him alone and bewildered with his seemingly faulty weapon. His glove had melted into it and he had to rip the entire thing off to put it down. He still wore the heartless armor, and he thanked god for it now, that could have been his hand fused to the key. What had happened? Why had it begun to fail? He stared at his blade, it looked all right, a little grungy maybe, but normal. He ran his finger thoughtfully over the ridges that had been ripped into it by the monster. That had never happened before either, he himself often bore the marks of a monster's dying rage, but the keyblade had always remained oddly unmarked. Had his will faded? He had felt no less desperate, no less resolute than in previous battles... Was there someone stronger here? Calling to the key? 

  He shook his head, whatever it was, he would have to deal with it. He peeled his glove off the blade and threw it to the ground then willed a new one to form. He grabbed the keyblade, and, after a moment of thought, pulled his red and black sword from its place across his back. Two was better than one anyway.

~~~~~~~~ 

  Sora slept against the door, keys crossed over his chest, the red blood rain still beating down on him. Soon he would have to move on, face the world. Soon, but not now. 

~~~~~~~~

  The boy sighed. He was feeling tired, grimy and ill-used. He had told his father about his date, told him that he needed to go at 6, and the cheerful man had agreed... And then had talked at him for four hours about the magic present in the galloping snow beetle of the northern mountains which just happened, did he know, to lay its eggs in the entrails of dead fish. Oh, and, by the way my boy, I told Old Carl that you would help him repair his house, its suffering from a nasty mold problem, I just knew you'd love to help...

  Then to top it off, while he was rushing to his date an hour and 33 minutes late a giant key had fallen from the sky and hit him squarely on the head. 

  So now here he stood, alone, with a trickle of blood running down his forehead. He was glad Julia hadn't been waiting; at least she didn't have to see him like this. He sighed again, wiping blood from his eyes, and he had finally convinced her that he wasn't an eccentric, foolish, weirdo, too. Just great. 

  Oh well. The boy lifted the key from the ground and made his way home. He had the horrible feeling that this was going to be the beginning of another adventure.  


	2. Manifestations of Love

AN: Okay, next chapter, um, the worlds are that of Okage: Shadow King and part of FF7, I figured that if Square was going to move half the final fantasy chars to Hallow Bastion than I could put some in a different world. So, introducing Shinra World.

Disclaimer: Don't own it.

Through These Eyes

Chapter 2

"Manifestations of Love"

"All your purposes are gone, nothing's right and nothing's wrong  
Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Feel no sorrow, Feel no pain." 

-Life of my Own, Three Doors Down

  "Slave!" The blonde man called as greeting. 

  The boy winced, he knew that voice all too well. He walked faster. 

  "Slave! Halt! Stop! GET BACK HERE!!!" The man shoved his way through the semi crowded streets in pursuit of his once servant. 

  The boy shook his head in defeat, took a deep breath, and turned, he didn't really have much of a choice, he would be caught anyway, and, if he were honest with himself, he had been rather missing Stan lately. 

  The blonde man grabbed his arm and pulled him back down the road, toward his house, talking all the while. "Slave, we are going to the northern mountains at first light. After that," he paused, making a face, "_hero_ arrives."

  That sounded dangerously like an adventure. "I'm not going to the northern mountains. I'm not going anywhere. I'm staying here and having a normal life." He was resolute. 

~~~~~~~

  "You're going to the Northern Mountains?! How wonderful! You can capture a Galloping Snow Beetle! Excellent!" 

  "Dad, I'm not goi-"

  "Oh and dear, you can bring back a roast, those Northern cattle are supposed to have the best ribs."

  "Mother, I'm not going to-"

  "Of course my boy! Don't forget your coat." 

  "I don't want to go on any-"

  "Oh, is that lovely princess going to be traveling with you too? You two would be so cute together, dear."

  The boy blushed faintly, and tried one last time. "I don't wan-" 

  There was a knock at the door. 

  "Must be the hero." Stan said glumly. 

  The boy's mother pulled open the front door to reveal not only the pink hero Roslyn, but also the former evil king Epros, and his stalker, former evil king Linda.

  Roslyn strode in, "Are you ready to go? The sooner we stop this new threat the sooner I can go back to ridding the world of him." She nodded toward Stan.  

  "You will never defeat the one true evil king!" Stan snapped, and then they were fighting again. 

  The boy put his head in his hands. Nothing ever changed.

~~~~~~~~

  He woke stiff and in an entirely different place than where he had fallen asleep. The grass was bright green and the short flowers surrounded him. There was also a pink ghost hovering over him. 

  Sora screamed.

  The ghost laughed to itself, and rolled its eyes. This was too easy. It smiled and readied itself to cast the ultra sticky curse 'I am rubber, you are glue, everything bounces-' it halted its ghostly mumblings as a giant key was swung at its head. It fell back, surprised and dazed, it had been hit with sticks, chased by swords, and pursued by fire, but a key was a new one. In fact the only kid weird enough to do something like that was... The ghost leaped up to its ghostly tail and zoomed off. He had heard that the boy had red hair and green eyes, but he wasn't going to take any chances that this brown haired key wielder was the feared evil king destroyer. 

  Sora stared after the fleeing ghost with a confused expression on his face. The heartless had never run from him before, they always seemed more than willing to fight, but then again, they had also always been black before and more serious looking. He swung his keyblade up onto his shoulder and looked around him, the other blade was no where to be seen. He shrugged and shook his head, never noticing that a few nearby chickens stood to follow him.      

~~~~~~~

  The once evil king destroyer would have been surprised to know that he was remembered, let alone feared. He was sitting in the basement with his 'friends' preparing for the trip to the Northern mountains. They had a map, food, and the boy had pulled out his sword, which had been buried under a mound of boxes in the hope he would never have to use it again. Right now they were examining the key that had fallen on him the week before. 

  "Its just a dumb prop." Stan said, waving his hand dismissively. 

  "I do not think it is wise to dismiss such a thing as this. There is power here, that to me is quite clear." Although he had lost his power as an evil king two years before Epros still spoke in rhyme, he was also still very perceptive.

  "Its nothing, and stop with that infernal rhyming." Stan reached out and grabbed the handle, bringing it close to his face and inspecting it critically. He moved to toss it back onto the dresser, but found himself suddenly dizzy, he felt light, and awkward on his feet. He shook his head, trying to clear it. "What?" The world was above him, he was lying on the floor, he pushed himself up, eyes widening at the familiar sight before him... Ari, the boy's, back. 

  "ARRGGGG!! BLAST IT!!! I'm a shadow again!!!"  

~~~~~~~

  "Damn it!" Riku punched the door. The locked door. He felt centimeters away from tears, but he had never been one for crying, what good would it do? There was no one to help him. After all he _was_ the helper. He was the protector, he was the strong one, the powerful one. It was what life gave him. Now, now he was the traitor. Soon to be the uncontrollably sobbing traitor. 

  He had been here. Sora. They had been on the same world and he had missed him. He had been looking for so long, and he had been so close, and he had missed. God only knew where the boy was now. He leaned forward against the door, resting his forehead against the rough surface for a moment, gathering his strength, taking comfort from the success of his friend. 

  He pushed himself up, weakness left behind, and picked his blades up from the ground, flipping them comfortably in his hands. The quest wasn't over yet. 

  "You." His voice was hard, commanding. In another world he might have been a prince.  

  The small shadow that had been creeping behind him pointed its antennad head hesitantly toward him. 

  "Go, find the nearest hot spot."

  He had never had a gummi ship, he had to travel through the worlds by magic, the easiest way was from hot spot, or magically charged area, to hot spot. The heartless typically used them to travel through the unlocked worlds. 

  The shadow groveled briefly before scampering off. 

  One step closer. 

~~~~~~~

  The coffee was cold the donuts were old and President Rufus was angry. Typical day in the Shinra mega corporation. 

  "I think he's just pissed because Sephiroth isn't returning his calls." Reno said to his partner through the stale donut stuffed in his mouth. Free food was free food after all. 

  "..." 

  "Knew you'd agree with me." Sephiroth, famed inter world traveler, had made a home on Shinra Planet, as Reno unaffectionately called it, for years before having a severe falling out with Hojo, the old man, and, apparently, sanity. He had stayed just long enough to wipe out Rufus's father, and then had high tailed it out of there. Rufus had been crushed at the loss of such a powerful resource, not to mention the fact that no one kept the heartless out of the air conditioning system the way Sephiroth could. "Where's Elena anyway? I haven't seen her all morning." 

  "..." Rude shrugged.

  "She's filing her reports. I think the real question is, where have you been?" There was no mistaking the cold cultured voice behind them. 

  Reno turned and grinned, though it was a bit of a struggle, "Eh, trying to tell us something boss?" 

  Tseng looked indulgently dangerous, his smile was a threat. "4 o'clock, Reno." 

  "Yeah, yeah, I'll have it in." He waved his hand in a dismissive gesture. 

  "Today, Reno, 4 o'clock today. Not tomorrow, not next week. Today."

  "Yeah, I hear ya, today." The look was making him uncomfortable, but he couldn't very well scamper off to it in front of his boss, that would be giving in. 

  "Just wanted to make sure we were perfectly clear." The black haired man inclined his head briefly to Rude, and walked off.

  Reno nodded knowingly at Tseng's back, "Areis's not returning his calls."

  Rude cracked a smile and hmed agreeably. 

  "Back to the grind stone."

~~~~~~~  

  'Master'.

  It was a feeling more than a voice, seeping into his consciousness. He looked up from his polishing, to where the shadow stood uncertainly before him.    

  Riku nodded and stood, putting away his rag and sliding his sword into a newly materialized sheath hanging from an equally new belt. Making things from nothing could be difficult, especially if what he made was not something he usually had. Materializing his armor had become second nature, but new additions to it tired him, so as he followed calmly behind he the shadow he worked at marshalling his power. Traveling between locked worlds was always a trial. 

 'Here.' That feeling again, pervading his mind, as the shadow pointed down at the ground, all the while looking up at him, head cocked to the side and antenna quivering hopefully. 

  Riku had always found that there was an unexpected sweetness to the shadows, as if they longed to please, were always waiting to be hit and hoped desperatly for a bit of praise. Riku nodded at the creature, "Good, this'll do. Come here." 

  The shadow approached hesitantly. It had traveled through worlds with him a number of times, but was forever cautious and unsure when with its master. It carefully touched his calf, wrapping its claws delicately around his lower leg.   

  Riku waited for its tentative touch before transferring his power, and himself through the hotspot and to the closest foreign magic.

~~~~~~~~

  Kairi sat in the sand, Sora's wooden sword in her lap. She could see where it was worn from handling, and from beating. He always seemed to hit the same place. Riku's wooden weapon lay by her feet, it was worn too, a little more evenly, but still bore distinctive marks from where another had hit it time and again. She sighed, eyes traveling from the notches on one weapon to the other. She didn't need to lay them side by side to tell that the wounds matched, that the area where the varnish was most worn from one would fit comfortably in the notch on the other.

  She picked up Sora's sword and swung it awkwardly. She hadn't played fight in a long time, having proudly grown out of it around 7 years old and moving on to rafts, sand villages, and brightly colored doll clothing. Sora's sword was light, easy to handle, even for her, but she didn't see how he kept from snapping it in half. She took Riku's sword up with her other hand. It was heavier, and felt more solid, more comfortable under her fingers.  

  She lifted it up close, inspecting it affectionately. She could remember them fighting, most of her memories of them were fighting, on the beach, hearing the thud and crash as wood met wood. She could remember herself too, rolling her eyes, telling them to hurry it up, or laughing. Whenever she laughed they always got worse, they would try doing flips, cartwheels, or bizarre jumping attacks. She could remember the time Riku got in a wonderful wack to Sora's side then moved to flip away, only to fumble on his hands and fall backwards, over the Papou and into the ocean. She had been sitting on the tree, waiting for them to finish up their battle so they could go to her house, make a fort in the living room and raid the fridge. She had laughed hysterically, at his fall, at least, after the utter terror of 'oh my god is he okay?' wore off.

  It already seemed so long ago. 

  She swung Riku's sword cautiously, it gained momentum quickly, it felt fierce and dangerous, as if it were more than a hastily sanded stick.    

  Kairi shook her head and walked up the beach, looking for Tidus and his friends.

~~~~~~~

  "Hey, Ele-What the hell is that?" Reno's eyes widened in surprise before narrowing again. 

  "Um, what's what?" She smiled up at him, feeling cheerful, she was pretty much finished with her paperwork, which meant she could actually go home on time today. 

  "That!" He gestured to the side of her desk, "That giant key-thing!"

  Elena blinked, oh yeah, that, "It's a giant key, Reno." 

  He glared, "No shit, but what does it do?" 

  Elena shrugged, signing her name neatly on the next dotted line. "I don't know, probably just a novelty item, I found it when I was looking for the Hanson report," she looked over her reading glasses at Reno, expression vaguely accusing.  

  Reno shrugged it off, remembering the Hanson report as a distant but much hated enemy, and had treated it as such. "You mean you actually went into the closet?" he laughed, no one went into the closet, it had a life of its own. Not only was it filled with a variety of incredibly dangerous and hair trigger weapons, there were also mountains of paperwork, valleys of office supplies, and a highly advanced rodent civilization complete with religious idols and Shinra hate shrines. It was rumored that Tseng's predecessor had once locked a prisoner in it for safe keeping and he had never been seen again. In fact, the only one who dared enter the ancient report tomb was Tseng himself, who's three foot aura of perfection protected him from the chaos within. 

  "Uh huh," Elena nodded, "I needed to find this report," the accusing look returned, "There were three year old donuts in there."

  Reno shrugged, and kicked the key gently, glancing it over, "Its ugly." 

  "Hey! Careful, I don't think its ours!" 

  "It was in our closet, besides, who would want this thing?" He picked it up, meaning to get a closer look, "OW! Dammit!" He dropped it swiftly, waving his hand in the air. "Its hot as hell!"

  Elena cautiously righted the key, "...No its not, its cool. Cold even." She picked it up, demonstrating.

  Reno glared at it, before resolutely reaching out again. When his hand was about and inch from the metal a bright blue spark leapt from the key to his skin. "Damn it!" He looked down at Elena, "That thing is broken." 

  She covered her mouth with a hand, trying not to laugh, "Its got good taste."

  Reno glowered.

~~~~~~~~

  He had met about a dozen ghosts during his trek to town, a few of them ran away, but most stayed thinking Sora a most delectable snack, only to be disappointed when they were beaten into the ground by his keyblade, which for all of its unreliability in locking doors still managed to injure monsters. He had seen a few conventional heartless as well, their dark and somber looks standing out in a world of bright vibrant colors and bizarre wild eyed monsters. 

  The town was also bright and a tad wild eyed, large men moved around what appeared to be a fishing village, some chuckling in a deep and disconcerting way. 

  He walked into the closest building, an inn. An oddly dressed man stood of to one side, a crystal ball floating in front of him. He smiled widely when Sora entered, and bouncing slightly on his heels said, "Hey, hey, want to know your love fortune?" 

  "Huh? My what?" 

  "Your love fortune! You know, the person you're destined to be with." It nodded it pink jester like head emphatically.

  "Uh," Sora looked at the hopeful face, "Sure." He grinned, "Tell me." 

  "Okay, let's see" The man peered into his crystal ball, "you're true match is," it squinted, "hmm, Ric-no Rikku? Ah, wait, Riku, that's it Riku." He nodded, obviously proud of his prediction. 

  Sora stared, "Riiiiiight, that cinches it. This world is twisted."

~~~~~~~ 

  He staggered, falling forward to his knees while the shadow cringed behind him. He was exhausted, unusually so, there was something about this world that drained him. Like a buffer of magic, keeping him out and others in. It had taken a ton of power to break through, but he had arrived, and he was alive, and all the bits of him had reappeared in the right places. 

  He looked up wonderingly. He was collapsed in an alley way formed by two massive skyscrapers. His eyes widened and his head swam. The entire city reached upward, a mass of concrete and steel, seeming to touch space, and was engulfed in a bright green glow.


	3. Cosmic Philosophy

AN: Chapter three is a very big chapter. The second half is more interesting than the first. Sadly, its also more confusing. If you

read this fic and like it I would really appreciate a review. As you can see I have very few of them, which is perfectly reasonable, but

still disappointing. This story will at least continue on into a forth chapter, however if it remains unpopular it is likely to stop after

that. Thanks much!

Disclaimer: It is still not mine

Through These Eyes

Chapter 3

Cosmic Philosophy

"Kiss me while I'm still alive,

Kill me while I kiss the sky.

Let me die on my own terms,

Let me live and let me learn"

-Life of my Own, Three Doors Down

  "It should be melted down I tell you! Destroy the thing slave! I command it!!!!"

  The boy sighed and tried to ignore Stan, who, three days into their journey, was still a shadow and still demanding the destruction

of the mysterious key. 

  It seemed to have just devoured the evil king's power, and now glowed softly while they marched, or in Epros's case, floated. The

former phantom evil king had taken on the burden of carrying it, since Stan refused to have it anywhere near him and began to rant

anew every time it came into his line of sight. 

  It had been an easy enough trip to the mountains, but once the foothills were climbed everything changed. The snow was deeper,

completely unpacked, and, Ari would swear, much colder. 

  The boy struggled through another deep drift, tuning out his talkative shadow. He didn't think they could go much farther, the wind

was picking up and it was getting dark, plus he was tired. They had been resolutely trudging through the snow, sometimes waist

deep, for almost 6 hours.

  Epros looked concerned as well. "There is a great gale now brewing, we best take shelter, lest it become our undoing."

  Ari nodded slightly in agreement and began scanning the sparse woods for a decent tree to use as windbreak. Then they could

stomp down the snow at set up the tent. 

  Funny how things never go as planned.

~~~~~~~  

  The crashes were loud and aggressive. Tidus stumbled back, eyes widening, he had never expected her to be this aggressive. He

pressed forward again, more cautious this time. 

  Kairi couldn't beat him, he had been doing this for years, and she had just picked up the sword after a 7-year absence, but she

was a hell of a lot better than he would ever have guessed. He blocked a poorly controlled blow and swung low, she stumbled back a

moment before the blow fell.

  He had thought it was a joke at first. Then that she was lonely and just wanted someone to play with, no matter the game. She

didn't really have friends, although Tidus couldn't understand why, she was nice and a good listener, but she was always alone. It

was weird, when he thought back he never actually remember her being alone, he was sure he or Selphie would have talked to her,

asked her to play with them. 

  She was off balance and Tidus pressed his advantage, driving her back. 

  It had taken him about fifteen seconds to realize that she was actually serious. To realize that she actually wanted to fight. And

that she had the temperament to do it. 

  He struck out again, connecting this time and throwing her back down into the sand. The wooden sword flew out from her hand and

she lay still for a moment before making a sound like a gasping sob. 

  "Oh god, are you okay?" Tidus hovered over her, peering down intently, "I'm so sorry." He hadn't wanted to hurt her. 

  She sat up, shaking her head before turning her face toward him. She was smiling widely and, he was shocked to see,

breathlessly laughing. 

  "You alright?" His asked, more than a little off balance himself now.

  "I'm fine!" She stood, hand going to rub her side gingerly, "or at least fine enough."

  "Uh, th-that's good. I-I'm sorry I hit you so hard." he smiled apologetically. 

  "Well, isn't that the whole point of it?" Her smile grew to a grin, "can you teach me to fight like that? You're really good, and I...

Well, I'm really bad!" 

  Tidus felt his face grow hot and hoped he wasn't blushing too badly, he knew he was good, but it wasn't something people actually

told him often. "Well," he began, actually feeling modest, "I'm okay, but Riku's a lot" His brows knitted together, confusion coloring

his features, "better than me..." he finished softly.

   Kairi felt her heart soar. He remembered them! Somehow, somewhere, deep inside, Tidus remembered. She didn't know why it

was so important to her, but it was, it made everything seem more real, it made their absence seem less permanent. For the first

time since she had found herself at home, the only one of their group to make it back, she thought maybe it was possible that Sora

and Riku would come back. Always before she had thought that one day it would be too much, one day the time would just be right

and she would have to leave, to find them. She didn't want to abandon her home, she knew that it ached enough at the loss of Sora

and Riku's as it was, but she had been sure there was no other way to see them again. Now she wasn't so sure. 

  "-I guess." Tidus was talking.

  "Huh?" She focused back in on him.  

  "I said, 'yeah, I guess.' you know, about teaching you to fight." 

  "Really? Thank you so much, Tidus!" If she did have to find them, she would be ready this time. 

~~~~~~~

  "Ewww, Reno, throw up that way." Elena gestured vaguely to the right, face disgusted. She knew it was a mistake to go out

drinking with them, but Tseng had to play bodyguard to Rufus at a dinner party so there was no use staying at work, and her

apartment, for all its beauty, always felt so empty. So when Reno asked if she was coming out to drink with them she had said

'sure'. He didn't usually invite her along to those things, and she had felt a little flattered that he finally seemed to see her as real

Turk, as one of them. She realized now that he probably just wanted someone who could see straight to drive him home. 

  Reno urked disagreeably and leaned against the large picture window set in the front of the Graphic Designs office tower. 

  Rude came up quietly behind them, content to be a nonentity. 

  "Come on," Elena glared, "I, for one, want to get home." 

  Reno muttered something like 'yeah, yeah,' and pushed away from the building, leaving hand prints on the once clean glass.

  "Stagger that way." She pointed toward her car. She followed behind as Reno ambled his way to her small but spotlessly clean

four door. She shook her head, mildly impressed at his ability to walk in straight line. 

  It was then that she tripped over something in the dark of the parking lot. She stepped away quickly with mild disgust, what a

wonderful night, first the bitchy new secretary on the twelve floor demand a report she had never even heard of, next she got to face

the closet of eternal night, then listen to a drunk Reno talk in an over loud voice about the assets of the waitress and now she had

nearly fallen over some drunkard.

  "God," she muttered, in utter disgust with the world. Then she glanced down to see what degenerate being she had kicked. 

  He didn't look like a drunkard. 

  He was too young, for one, Elena guessed him to be about 14, give or take a year. Two, his clothes looked quality, a little dirty

maybe, but not something you saw on someone who burned all their cash on beer. 

  Her anger evaporated into instant concern. "Oh god." She kneeled down next to the boy, Turk brain unconsciously checking him

for injuries. "Do you think he was mugged?" close up there was the unpleasant odor of sweat, dirt and dried blood, almost identical

to the reek that filled the SOLDIER locker rooms. 

  "...Probably a runaway," Rude offered from behind her. "Check for I.D." 

  "Nothing, he doesn't even have pockets." Elena rolled him hesitantly onto his back, "We should take him to the hospital."

  "Oh for god sakes," Reno said, walking back to them, "We're Turks, not social workers, just leave him, Elena. I thought you

wanted to go home."   

  Elena glared, "He's just a kid, we can't just leave him here. What if he gets hurt?" 

  There was a brief battle of wills, as Reno and Elena matched glares.

  "...I'll carry him." Rude offered, breaking the silence, and without another word easily plucked the unconscious boy from the

ground. 

  Reno threw up his hands, "Whatever. Just, whatever." He followed behind; drunken cloud pierced by the stabbing light that was

Elena. He didn't like light. 

~~~~~~~

  Sora sighed. He had asked everyone in town about the keyhole, but no one knew where it might be, no one even knew what it was.

The townspeople had always had monsters in their lives, it even had specially trained heroes to battle them, so the arrival of the

heartless didn't cause much of a stir. 

  "I wish Donald and Goofy were around, they'd have some idea." He heaved a sigh, and sat down a pile of nets. A chicken settled

comfortably next to him, pecking at the rope. 

  Everything was terrible. He didn't know where he was, what he was doing, or even know how he had managed to get here, let alone

how to make it home. And he was lonely, so terribly lonely. He rested his head in his hands; tears beginning to slide down his

cheeks. What was he going to do? The heartless were here, he knew that, so he had to lock the door. Which brought him back to

his original problem, no one knew where the door was. 

  Why was this still happening anyway? He had closed kingdom hearts, saved and separated the worlds. At least that's how it was

supposed to go. But here he was, in yet another world, with more heartless. Come to think of it, the last door he had locked had

borne a close resemblance to the universe's core. Not that he knew what that meant, for all he knew the world might just have been

completely infected... Donald would have known what it meant. 

  Then there was the thing with the other keyblade. The one that had disappeared sometime after he had fallen asleep. He didn't

think it was Riku's, wouldn't think that it was Riku's. So that left what? And where? And who? No more Ansem meant no more

heartless master but not no more heartless? "Why won't it make sense? Why, why, why?" 

  "Why what?" The voice was clipped, haughty, and coming from his right.

  "Huh?" He sat up quickly, head snapping around to see who had spoken.

  She had red eyes, long golden hair, and a very commanding air.

  "I said, why what?" She looked generally annoyed with him.

  "Nothing. I was just thinking." He smiled up at her, trying to be polite. 

  "Hmph," It was a prissy little sound, "Well then, are you the boy who's been asking odd questions?" 

  "What?" Sora said, cocking his head, confused. 

  She sighed, as if horribly put upon, "Are you the foreign boy who's been going around asking about a keyhole or some such?"

  "Huh? Foreig- Yeah!" he jumped up, eyes wide and hopeful, "do you know where it is? I have to find it. Its real important." 

  "Of course it is," her tone said otherwise. "Well, I believe I know where this... keyhole is."

  "That's wonderful," finally something was getting done, maybe if he locked the door he could find his way out of this place. "Where

is it?" He smiled broadly, eyes bright.

  "I'll show you." She paused, and her smile was sharp, "If you do something for me." 

~~~~~~~

  He woke to blinding light. 

  He reached out, hands scraping over cold metal and soft thin fabric. He shook his head, confused, fingers grazing textured plastic

smooth buttons and sealed wood. This was wrong, all wrong. 

  "Wha-what?" His voice was rough and cracked. "Where- where am I?" 

  "You're in the hospital, kid." 

  Riku forced his eyes to stay open, turning his head in the direction of the voice. "Why? Did something happen?"

  He couldn't see Reno shrug. "We found you in the dirt, kid. You should know what happened." 

  "I-I, oh, I... Yeah, I remember, they attacked me." He struggled to focus on his companion. "Some kids, they had knives, I-I guess

they wanted money, but I-I didn't have any." Riku was not a particularly skilled liar, he wasn't used to it, it was hard for him to sound

weak and frightened. Still, he was going to try it, there was something about the red haired man that he didn't like, didn't trust, and

he planed on telling him as little as possible.

  Reno sat in a metal-armed chair and blatantly ignored the 'no smoking' sign on the wall. He smiled at the silver haired brat, "Yeah,

lotta bad gangs around here." he nodded to himself and took a drag from his cigarette, "I bet they would have loved getting their

hands on that fancy knife of yours... I guess they just over looked it, eh?" 

  For the first time Riku realized that the red haired man was holding his curved sword. He cursed silently, the keyblade he had

vanished, but he had forgotten his other weapon, leaving it quietly and incriminatingly sheathed at his side.  

  Reno blew smoke into the teen's face. "Yeah, that's what I thought."

~~~~~~~

  Glowing eyes snapped open. Red rimmed nostrils whuffed at the air, and an invisible ear strained to ear individual thoughts. It had

been abandoned, years ago, left by its master alone in an icy cave. The creature's empty chest ached, filling it with anger, pain, and

loneliness.

  It thought, if it were very quiet, it could hear him. If it were very still, it could smell him. And, if it were very careful, it could find

him.   

  It flipped its tail hard against the cold stone, and outside, the thunder began. 

~~~~~~~

Lost. They were lost.

  What had only a moment ago been thin forest had turned into a massive twisting woods. Snow flew through the air, hitting them

from all sides.

  The tent had been forgotten. Now they looked for a cave or a hollow or an overturned tree.

  Epros was carrying Linda and gripping one end of Rosalyn's closed parasol. She hung reluctantly onto one of Stan's shadowy

hands. She didn't know how he managed to remain solid to maintain any type of physical contact, but if he wasn't complaining

(more than the usual) than she certainly wasn't going to say anything.  

  Ari raised a hand, shielding his eyes. "I think there's a cavern ahead." He pushed forward, squinting, the human chain following

behind. 

  The cave was wet and slimy. Bats slept on the ceiling while rats huddled together on the floor. 

  Ari worked his way deeper, feeling carefully along the walls. It was dry past the first bend, and by the second he could feel warm

air on his face. 

  "We can rest here," said Rosalyn, looking around. "Set up the tent. We'll want it to keep out the rats." 

  Ari nodded tiredly and pulled it from his pack. 

  Rosalyn stood for a moment, staring into the darkness before resolutely turning away.

  Epros raised an eyebrow, head cocked in a silent question. 

  Rosalyn nodded slightly. 

  The former Phantom Evil King's closed his eyes briefly, acknowledging, before turning to smile at Ari. "Here. I really must insist,

that you let me help with this." 

  In the darkness something growled.  

~~~~~~~ 

  Princess Marlene resolutely refused to ask the question that was plaguing her. Instead she focused on briefing her new, temporary,

servant. "The townspeople just think it's a new evil king. We've had it happen before. For every demon the heroes destroy another

three come out of the woodwork. But this is different. In the past the monsters have always been clumsy, cowardly, dumb, or

generally decent. This one isn't. This one hasn't just been casting silly curses, it's been destroying people, playing them as puppets,

and making its own monsters. Silent black creatures."

  "The heartless," Sora said. He glanced over at her. "No one else here seems to notice them though."

  "The people here are all classified oblivious. Well, until one of the monsters gets to them, then they're zombies. Luckily attacks

have been limited to the Northern Mountains, where the leader of these creatures seems to be nesting." She turned to look at Sora,

"What are these heartless doing to them? It's like they're dead, though they still breathe."

  "Well," Sora started, "They steal hearts. Without a heart, people can be controlled, devoured, or left in a deep sleep forever. I can

fight them, the keyblade hurts them, but most normal weapons don't do a thing." Sora explained, then blinked as Marlene quickened

her pace. "Wha?"

  "We have to hurry." There was fear in the princess's red eyes. "You said they can't be killed by regular weapons? Then it can't be

killed by weapons either... Can't be... Wonderful, just wonderful. And Ari's marching right into its lair, I just know it. I know it." 

  Sora didn't ask if she was crying. "We'll hurry."

~~~~~~~

  "How are you doing?" Concern etched the blondes features as she smiled down at the silver haired teenaged.

  "Uh, much better, thanks." Riku smiled weakly. He wished these people would leave so that he could get on with his job. He

needed to find Sora or Mickey, someone who could lock the worlds. His key hadn't been designed for such purposes, and the best

he could do was put a magic seal on the door and pray it would hold until one of the others stumbled upon it to finish the job. 

  "So, where are you from? Is there anyone we can call?" Elena said. 

  "I live pretty far from here, I've been traveling. Trying to make my fortune, you know." Some of his cockiness had returned.

  "That's going to be difficult, with the broken ribs and all." The concern was back again. "Do you have anywhere to stay?" 

  Riku shrugged, "I can find somewhere, I always do." 

  "I don't know..."

  "You can stay with me, kid." Reno ambled into the hospital room, holding a steaming cup of doctored coffee. 

  Elena shot him a quick look, eyes narrow; it wasn't like Reno to play Good Samaritan. 

  "That's okay, I can manage." Riku sat up straighter in bed.

  "I insist." Reno smiled like an alcoholic shark. "Someone has to wake you every few hours anyway, the concussion thing, ya

know. I got your check out papers." He held them up as evidence before dropping them in Riku's lap. "A nurse'll be around with a

wheelchair in a few."

  In less than an hour they were outside in rain-dampened streets with Reno shuffling him into Elena's beige four door. 

~~~~~~~

  It could feel the mind. 

  It tossed its pointed head, claws digging into the earth. It was restless and anxious to fly, but it didn't know where to go. Growling

deep in its throat, it lashed its tail against the ground, thrilled when the earth shuddered and shook beneath it. 

  It could feel the mind, and it was close.

~~~~~~~ 

  "Reno what are you doing?" Elena grabbed Reno's arm, preventing him from following Riku into the apartment. 

  "Its really pounding out there, isn't it?" Reno said, as thunder crashed outside.

  "Reno..." 

  "He's lying." 

  Elena leaned against the wall, "I know." 

  "And that doesn't worry you?" Reno cocked an eyebrow.

  "Why would it? He's only a kid." 

  "Sure, a really weird kid. He doesn't dress like us, he doesn't talk like us, he won't say where he's from because he doesn't know

where anything is... And it's raining."

  "What does rain have to do with anything?!" Elena asked, eyes rolling.

  "Its been going since he woke up... And getting worse." Reno lit up a new cigarette.    

  "I never knew you were so superstitious." 

  "I'm not, I just think it's worth knowing." He said, and walked into the apartment. 

~~~~~~~

  Ari rolled over, he couldn't sleep. There was something about the place that made him uncomfortable. He kept expecting to see the

dancing urns that were always present in dungeons, or to find that something was following behind him. He rubbed his hands

together and rolled over again before finally giving in and sitting up. He could see Rosalyn's golden eyes glowing in the dark. She

was sitting at the entrance of the tent, alternately staring out and glancing back in, like a sheep dog watching the flock. "Rosalyn?

What's wrong?" 

  "Nothing, go back to sleep."

  He stared for a moment. "What's wrong?" 

  She glance over him, "I'll wake you if something's happens." 

  "Rosalyn? Why are we waiting?" 

  She let her eyes settle on him. "Because we're tired. And cold. And its nighttime. We should rest as much as we can before..."

She shrugged, "We start anything." 

  Ari nodded, and lay back down, eyes open. He shivered despite the warm air because anything bad enough to frighten Rosalyn

into being cautious had to be terrible indeed.

~~~~~~~

  The wind was biting cold. Ice crystals blew into their faces, burning cheeks and stinging eyes. "How much farther?" Sora called,

arm raised in front of his eyes. 

  "There should be a cave around here. That should be where it lives." Marlene called back. She smoothed her dress back down

before pointing to the east. "That way, past those rocks. It should be just beyond them." She prayed briefly that her rather scattered

informant's memory had been accurate. They couldn't take much more of this cold.

  Sora nodded. "Don't worry, we'll find it." 

~~~~~~~

  Riku lay awake in the guest room, listening to the rain beat against the windows. He sighed, crossing his arms beneath his head

and stared up at the ceiling. All his muscles ached. 

  He saw it before he heard it. A small black shape rising from the floor and rushing to the foot of the bed, a second later the little

shadow's 'voice' bloomed in his head. 

  'Master.' It twisted the sheets between is black clawed hands. 'Master, runaway.' It creeped up the bed, until it was crouched at his

side, 'runaway.' 

   Riku sat up, "Run away? From what?" The shadow itself hadn't worried him, he was used to it popping up from nowhere, but rarely

did it talk so much, or seem so distressed. 

  It hesitated for a moment, and then seemed to gather its wits. 'Lizard has woken up. It is very, very mad.' the shadow mimed a

growl, and its thought to him was of furious raging aggression. 'It will kill you, if you do not run.' the feelings filled Riku's mind,

painting a better picture than words ever could. 'Run away.' 

  Riku narrowed his eyes and pushed himself out of bed, ribs burning. He smiled grimly and called his keyblade, smirking as it

materialized in his hand, "Let it come." 

~~~~~~~

  The lizard tensed in its icy cavern. There. There. That pulse of violent power. The vicious magic gathering itself in one place, one

building, one room. One person. 

  20 miles away. 

  The lizard leapt forward, surging from that cave and unfurling its tattered wings. 

  It would have its revenge. It would not be forgotten again, not this time. Ansem would regret abandoning it. 

  Because 20 miles was nothing when you could fly.

~~~~~~~

  Things always happen in twos. 

  So it would come as no surprise to a cosmic philosopher that the it, the lead heartless growling deep in the Northern Mountains,

would also choose now to awaken. 

  Ari was not a cosmic philosopher. So he was decently shocked when suddenly red-hot fire shot from deep within the cave. He

reacted instantly, on his feet without realizing it, sword he had so desperately wanted to put aside in his hand. 

  It surged up from the cavern, a black man shape wreathed in fire.  

  He dimly realized that the others were up as well. Standing besides him. Rosalyn had her rapier at the ready and Epros was

already casting spells. 

  Ari lunged forward, striking out, and then stumbled in shock as his sword passed right through the monster without so much as

scraping it. He backed up, eyes widening, before desperately casting blaze sword.

  It worked. 

  "Rosalyn! Rosalyn, your weapon needs to be spelled!" 

  The pink hero didn't seem to hear him. 

~~~~~~~~

  "What the fuck?!" 

  Reno leapt back from the 12-story window at the same time the dragon crashed through it. Glass rained down from the shattered

remains of the wall, landing on the plush carpeted floor and lodging themselves in Reno's raised arms. The lizard twisted its head

around and stared at him through yellowed eyes. It snorted once before turning away, bulk slamming into the wall and through the

plaster. 

 It thundered down the hall, feet falling heavy on thinly carpeted concrete. It stuck its head through a door, sniffed deeply and

smashed back through the living room wall, the splintered doorframe round its long neck like choker. 

  Its eyes slitted when it reached the guestroom door. Its head weaved back and forth, snake like, before throwing itself against the

boundary. 

  The wall didn't explode. It disintegrated. Microscopic plaster particles floated in the air between Riku and the lizard.

  Both stared. The dragon's eyes dilated, devouring the image before them. It lowed its head; eyes still locked on Riku, and crooned

gently, the vibration blowing Riku's hair into his eyes. 

  They stared. 

  Then the dragon's eyes contracted again, slitting into a furious glare as it reared up, arched its serpentine neck and shot black-blue

fire at its betrayer. 

~~~~~~~~

  She had spent the day training with Tidus and his friends. Mainly she had practiced timing, learning to block Tidus and knock

Wakka's blitzballs back at him. It had been both fun and exhausting. For once dinner had been eaten cheerfully and sleep was

easy. 

  She curled comfortably on her bed, down comforter wrapped around her legs while her she dreamed of reality. 

  Sora was there. Sitting on the floor of the mayor's house and playing solitaire. 

  He was loosing.

  Kairi came up behind him, peering over his shoulder at the game. "Sora," She said, "You can't win with just one ace."

  He shrugged, "I know, but it's all I have." He waved his hands at the cards. "See?" 

  Kairi smiled and kneeled down next to him, lifting first one hidden card, then another, until she finally found the ace of spades.

"Now you have two," She placed it next to the uncovered ace of hearts.  

  He looked up at her, "That's cheating, Kairi." He reprimanded, but didn't put the card back.

  "Take it," Riku always appeared behind her, no matter the dream. "You need all the help you can get." 

  Sora stuck his tongue out at the other boy. 

  "Lovely." 

  Kairi smiled, giggling gently, before hugging Sora tight. "I miss you guys so much." 

  "We miss you too." Sora's eyes were the color of the deepest ocean, or the darkest sky. 

~~~~~~

  Sora was, in actuality, very awake and sprinting across the very cold snow towards the very bright fire burning in the cave ahead.

He could hear shouts, crashes and deep guttural snarls. His keyblade was heavy in his hand, dragging him down as he raced

toward the battle. 

  The snow was melted in a 5-foot semicircle around the cave entrance. Inside the fire creature slashed at its enemies with horned

fists. They were cornered; somehow the beast had gotten around them, and now stood between them and the cave entrance.

  Sora was surprised when he layed eyes on the fighters. He had expected to see power and might, but Ari looked little older than

him and very small for a great hero. 

  Sora sprinted across the dusty ground, sliding to a stop behind the man monster. "Hey, over here!" He didn't wait for it to focus on

him before lunging. 

~~~~~~

  She had gone outside. To look at the stars. To watch them flicker thousands of miles away. Her star chart sat in her lap. She had

half a dozen solar systems labeled and another million to go. The pinpoints of light were infinite, going ever on within space and the

black mat of Sora's eyes. 

  Heartless were playing in the shallows. Waves lapping around them. 

  Kairi jerked back, eyes wide with fright. Carefully she kneeled, head down, and crawled toward her house. 

  In the surf gold eyes glowed. 

  Kairi froze for a moment, muscles tense and trembling. Then she ran. 

  The heatless followed. 

  She raced forward, sandal flying off her foot and she leapt over a bush. Her entire body was shaking, terror giving her speed. They

clattered behind her, dashed beside her, materialized in front of her. She jumped over them, feet pounding and breath caught with

sobs and gasps. She pulled ahead when she reached the trees, but she could hear them all around her.

~~~~~~

  Riku lay bleeding on the floor. The lizard loomed over him, insane beer yellow eyes locked with his. One sharp talon held him

down; it was as big as his torso and weighed heavily on his chest. He gasped in pain as the weight increased.  

  It leaned down, tongue flicking out and grazing across its almost-master's face. Lapping at the blood. 

  It began to press harder. 

  It would crush him into the ground.

~~~~~~

  In complete terror she slammed into her door. Twisting the knob desperately only to feel the hard resistance of the deadbolt. 

  As she fumbled for her keys she wondered when her parents had put a lock on the door. She wrenched the jellyfish key chain from

her pocket and isolated a single bronze key from the hundreds on the metal loop. She shoved it roughly into the lock; twisting it

around twice before realizing it was the wrong one. She tried another. And another. And another. 

  She could hear the heartless behind her, sprinting up the gravel road in a seething mass of black death. 

  She tried another. Slamming her fist against the wooden barrier, screaming and crying and separating out another key and then the

armor was there, inches away, its obsidian claws reaching to rip her heart from her chest and there was nothing she could do, no

one left to help her on this black dead island as she felt her heart stolen again and she didn't even get to warn Sora...

  Kairi woke screaming. She curled up on her bed, huddling in the darkness with sticky tears sliding down her face, too afraid to

move. She struggled to be silent, sure they were in here like monsters under the bed.

  All those keys.

  All wrong. 

  All those stars. A zillion universes. 

  All those keys. Gold and bronze and heavy and notched and different. 

  A billion constellations.

  All those keys.

  "Oh Sora," She curled up tightly, "Oh Sora, it won't work. It won't work... Its not the right one anymore. Oh Sora..."

  How foolish they had been to think that one key would lock all the doors. 

~~~~~~~


	4. Could've Been Magic

AN: Updating after forever. Thanks for the newest reviews, they move me to write. If there are things in here that clash with the game, I'm very sorry, I try to avoid it, but I don't always remember everything. 

  
Disclaimer: Sadly, its not mine. 

  
  


Through These Eyes   
  
Chapter Four   
  
Could've Been Magic 

  
  
"Now I'll follow my own way,   
  
And I'll live on to another damn day  
  
Freedom carries sacrifice,   
  
remember when this was my life.   
  
-Life of my Own, Three Doors Down 

  
  
The keyblade was weak. Its gold color dull and the normally warm metal cooling rapidly.  
  
Sora didn't have time to worry about it. The fire monster had, as hoped, turned on him, and it was all he could do to keep it from catching him with those spiked hands and sending him flying across the cave.  
  
The keyblade flickered, failing to block the next blow. Sora fell back and crab crawled desperately away. The heatless loomed above him, pulling back one heavy arm for a killing blow. Sora held up the keyblade, a thin and faulty barrier between him and destruction. He focused his power into it, watching with wide eyes in the time-slowed world of impending death as it brightened, responding. It had to hold. It had to hold. He closed his eyes.   
  
The blow never fell. Instead there was a horrible high pitched shriek followed by a grunting moan. Sora cracked an eye.  
  
The red headed Ari, reluctant evil king destroyer, stood behind the dying heartless with a fire-laced keyblade in his bleeding hands.  
  
He had powered the already lethal weapon with Blaze Sword.  
  
Ari himself did not know exactly what had happened. He knew they had been fighting, and losing. That a boy had run into the cave, screaming a challenge to the monster and holding what looked to be a giant key. And losing. Ari hadn't known what to do, there he was, standing, watching as their savior fell back. Ari watched, holding a virtually worthless sword and with no plan to save the innocent who had tried to help them.   
  
It was then that the key had formed in his hands, appearing out of thin air, replacing his previous weapon.  
  
The rest had been instinct. He swallowed, watching with rapidly glazing eyes as the giant writhed on the ground, shrieking, before falling still and dissolving into darkness.   
  
Sora picked himself up, eyes locked on the newly revealed keyblade master. He couldn't squash the spark of jealous. But before he had the chance to question the boy, his forgotten companion, the red eyed Princess Marlene, had run full tilt, skirts lifted to her knees, into the cave and wrapped her arms around Ari.  
  
The boy did the only thing he could in such a situation.  
  
He fainted.   
  
~~~~~~~~   
  
Darkness.  
  
Darkness was easy. It was merely a lack of illumination. No hardship, no struggle, just an unending blackness.  
  
No, it was the light that was difficult. Light had to be made and protected. It could be smothered, hidden, and destroyed. But it could also be created, in a way that darkness never could. Just one spark could set a city ablaze, or a soul.   
  
Riku was in the dark.  
  
And he couldn't find the light.  
  
More importantly though, he couldn't breathe.   
  
He was being slowly crushed, huge claws digging ever deeper into his chest as the pressure increased. His eyes were still open, but dull and glazed. His hands clung loosely to the lizard's leg, but he had given up on pushing it away.  
  
Elena paused in the destroyed door way. She lived two floors down, and had both heard and felt the dragon's entrance. She watched as the beast reared up for a moment before slamming down again, weight crashing onto Riku's broken body. The silver haired teenager rocked with the impact, gasping in pain. Blood dripped from his mouth.  
  
She didn't know what to do. She didn't have a weapon and couldn't remember her spells. Desperate, without thinking, she ran into the bedroom... To deliver a hard kick to the lizard's tail.  
  
Its eyes widened, and it reared again, twisting its head around to look at her. It kicked back, huge clawed foot sweeping her off the floor and into the far wall, watching as she slid down it, unconscious.  
  
Its head swayed on as it hissed and turned its attention back to the boy beneath its feet.  
  
Who wasn't breathing.  
  
~~~~~~~~   
  
Reno was not a hero. He didn't want to be a hero. Hadn't wanted to be a hero since he was five years old and playing in the concrete garden outside his father's work.  
  
Still, he was loyal, and he was brave, in a cruel street-wise way, and he didn't run away when another Turk was in trouble. He would have sacrificed the boy, he didn't really like the kid, didn't really trust the kid, and he was pretty damn sure this sudden attack of the reptilian kind was the ever enigmatic Riku's fault, but he couldn't abandon Elena.   
  
Damn his morality.   
  
He thumbed the mag rod to full power, enough voltage to fry a herd of chocobo.  
  
"Beat it, Gex." He cast Thunder and the electricity arced from his nightstick to pop and sizzle on the dragon's wing.   
  
It swung around mid hiss, surprised and hurt, its huge tail crashed against the wood flooring and the plaster walls cracked. The shock wave knocked Reno off his feet.   
  
Outside the storm raged, wind dashing rain and hail through the wide hole in the building.   
  
The mag rod glowed, and another bolt of lighting danced across the lizard's sensitive wings.   
  
Enraged the dragon twisted its body around, Riku rolling bonelessly beneath its feet as it turned. Its bulk crashed through one of the remaining walls. Its claws dug into the floorboards and its head lowered threateningly. Reno cast Thundagra.  
  
It breathed fire.  
  
~~~~~~~~   
  
Light flashed through the windows, making shapes on the wall.  
  
Black hands gripped glittering gold, glittering gold that changed to silver under the new touch.   
  
Lighting struck outside, filling the room with light and casting shadows on the wall.  
  
~~~~~~~~  
  
"I don't want it."  
  
Ari sat on the ground, keyblade between his feet. Sora sat across from him, peering up into his face. The princess was at his side, hand on his shoulder. "I don't want it."  
  
"Are you sure? I mean, it's yours, I don't even know if it'll go with me." He was sitting cross legged on the dusty earth, head cocked to the side, and a chicken pecking absently at his clothes. He brushed it away. Where the hell had all the dumb birds come from anyway?  
  
"I'm sure. I don't want it."   
  
The princess rolled her eyes, she had already tried to convince her reluctant hero to keep the odd weapon, but he would have none of it. "Just take it Sora."   
  
The brown haired boy shrugged and picked up Ari's keyblade. It was lighter than his own and had a weird cartoony look to it. "Now, princess, you said that if I helped you, you could show me where the keyhole is?"  
  
"Yes. So I did."  
  
~~~~~~~~   
  
It felt like liquid metal flowing in his hand. It was cool, soothing, but full of an icy power. It felt like his sword.   
  
It felt like his magic.   
  
It felt like grim determination, strength and never ending life. Drink of me and you shall live forever.  
  
It felt like his life.   
  
But most of all, most of all, it felt absolutely nothing like Sora's. Nothing like love.   
  
He stood up, lurching elegantly to his feet, metal boots scraping against the cracked floor.   
  
Blood-streaked silver fell across his eyes and he smiled. Smirked in the face of the dragon.   
  
His hand was tight on the icy silver keyblade that wasn't his, but had always been a part of him.  
  
Lizard died in the light of Ragnarok, its crushed heartless anger and hopeless love leaving nothing but steam in the damp air.  
  
~~~~~~~~   
  
When Elena came to she was lying on a clean comfortable bed that was most defiantly not her own. She sat up, feeling slightly dizzy, and looked around. The walls were bare white, nondescript.   
  
"Hey, you're awake; I thought you'd be snoring away all week." The wry voice sounded tired and very familiar.  
  
"I do not snore!"   
  
"Sure." Reno smirked from the doorway.  
  
Elena was still too dizzy to glare, "What happened? Where am I? Please say you're wearing more than just the robe."   
  
The redhead grinned lazily, looking very comfortable in the oversized fluffy bathrobe. His hair was dripping wet and, Elena realized, much shorter. "Your boy attracted a giant dragon, got my apartment destroyed and your head slammed through a wall, then disappeared."  
  
"He's gone? What happened to the monster? Is it dead?" Elena leaned forward, face worried.  
  
"Yeah, gone. I don't know about the thing, it wasn't there when I got up." "Oh." She was too tired to ask what had happened to him.  
  
"Let her rest, Reno." Rude came up behind the red head, he was fully dressed, complete with sunglasses, despite the fact that it was still pitch black outside. Exhausted synapses in Elena's brain fired and she realized that they must be in his apartment. Rude lived in a different building than herself and Reno, closer to work but farther from the bars and shopping malls.  
  
"We gotta keep her awake now, though. You know, the whole concussion thing." Reno was still smirking.   
  
"Oh God." Elena rested her aching head in her hands, as if the night hadn't been long enough all ready.  
  
~~~~~~~~   
  
The keyhole was in a house. The basement of a house. The basement of Ari's house, to be precise. It was a two day walk from the Northern Mountains. Once there they were greeted with much cheer and although Ari's father was disappointed that they hadn't acquired a Galloping Snow Beetle, he was thrilled at the presence of Sora, who everyone seemed to know came from another world, as well as puzzling out Stan's renewed shadow problem, and poking at the keyblades. He also cheerfully explained that the chickens' sudden attraction to Sora was most likely due to a curse of some sort and that he had absolutely no idea how to remove it. "It'll wear off eventually, I'm sure, M'boy." he said brightly, patting Sora on the shoulder, "And until then you'll never be short companions."  
  
"Or food," the still shadowy Stan muttered darkly, he had received a similar 'wait till it wears it off' diagnoses and was expressing his displeasure with the world to anyone who would listen.  
  
When Julia found out why Ari had missed their date she swore to never speak to him again, and when Princess Marlene found out about Julia she swore the same.  
  
The new keyblade locked the keyhole without any difficulty and when Sora leaned back against the wall, wondering what to do next he fell backward through it, spiraling into a new world.  
  
His new friends peered at the wall as one. Linda waved. Epros looked thoughtful. Stan grumbled.  
  
Everything was as it should be... In a twisted cartoony sort of way.  
  
~~~~~~~~   
  
The new keyblade was glowing and throwing off silver sparks. Riku glared at it, his side was throbbing, his muscles burned and his head was swimming. It felt like he was trying to operate through sludge and a pissy keyblade was the last thing he really needed. Gritting his teeth he stumbled through still dark city, searching desperately for some way to escape this hell hole. When he finally felt the magic of a hotspot flow around him he almost fell to his knees.  
  
His shadow slid up off the dusty ground and gripped its master's tattered cape.   
  
Riku focused the last vestiges of his power, searching out another world, looking for something strong and close. He locked onto a sugary sweet green world that tasted like blood. Focusing, he began to slide down the lines of power, only to have his concentration broken and the spell shattered by a powerful shock from the silvered keyblade.  
  
His eyes snapped open and he stared at it, sizzling in his hands, silver light arcing off of it. It was icy cold, burning his skin through his glove. Lancing pain cut through him, followed by a foreign anger.  
  
The keyblade sparked again, glowing a blinding silver and feeling like hate, disgust, fury.  
  
Next to him the shadow hissed viciously at the weapon. It thought the blade should be tossed away.  
  
"Fine." Riku muttered, "What the hell do you want me to do?" his original keyblade was still vanished, but he could feel it in his mind, drained and dead, ultimately worthless. He couldn't afford to throw away this new one, no matter how obnoxious it might be.  
  
A bright shaft of golden light shot from the key, lighting up the street to his right.   
  
Riku rolled his eyes, "I bet half the city is awake now, as if the damn monster wasn't enough..." He took a deep breath, wincing at the pain in his chest and walked the way of the light.  
  
~~~~~~~~   
  
Kairi sat shoeless in the sand, Sora's wooden sword, now hers, lying next to her. Tidus was on her other side, talking about surfing.  
  
"Huge wave, just huge! And I was on my little board and so sure I was gonna just be toast, but somehow I got it and was able to ride it allll the way back to the beach. Wakka's looked soooo stunned; he never thought I could do it." The blond grinned and stretched, joints popping. "It was so cool... What's with you? You're all quiet."  
  
"Huh? Oh, I'm sorry, I'm just kinda tired." She shrugged self-consciously. "Where is Wakka anyway? And Selphie?"   
  
"Ah," Tidus waved his hand dismissively, "They're collecting fruit or something, Selphie thinks she can cook again."  
  
"Again?"   
  
"Yeah, she randomly goes through these weird phases where she tries to do, y'know, girl stuff. I think it happens when she spends too much time watching her mother. Last time she tried cooking she set the stove on fire and we messed up the WHOLE kitchen throwing water on it. When her parents got home and saw it, geez, we were all grounded for months."  
  
Kairi smiled, "Oh, well, I hope it goes better this time."  
  
"It should, she's not allowed to use the oven. Or anything else with fire." "Why aren't you helping her?"  
  
"Huh?"  
  
Kairi cocked her head, "I said, 'why aren't you helping her?' you know, to gather fruit and stuff."  
  
Tidus shrugged, it was his turn to be self conscious, "I didn't feel like it, besides, I promised you I'd teach you to fight, I never promised Selph I'd be a fruit picker."  
  
"Oh." Kairi looked down for a moment before grinning picking up her sword, "Then let the lessons continue."  
  
Tidus drug himself to his feet, pole in hand. "All right!"  
  
~~~~~~~~   
  
He appeared in a thick green forest, "Wow. I didn't know that could happen." Sora stood up, brushing dirt off his pants. The world looked normal enough, not too bright, not too creepy. There was a dusty trail away to his left that looked fairly well traveled. He followed it, occasionally stepping over flowers that had taken the risk of growing in the path. After a while he began humming quietly to himself. The sun was warm on his skin and he felt more hopeful than he had in weeks. He would find Goofy and Donald, he would find King Mickey and Riku, they would all find their way home. Where Kairi would be, waiting for them, and they could race again, and climb trees again, and he could see his parents, who would be absolutely furious, but that was okay. He had a working key blade, he had potions, he had magic, and, apparently, he had some bizarre power that let him travel between worlds without a gummi ship.  
  
All in all it was shaping up to be a decent day.  
  
~~~~~~~~   
  
The red light of dawn was seeping through the city by the time he reached his destination. If it weren't for the pale green outline he never would have seen it. A keyhole. This world's keyhole.   
  
If he were feeling better he would have punched the wall. All the same, his blue eyes, one stained a dark crimson, narrowed with rage. "I walked here... All the way here... For a keyhole.... THAT I CAN'T CLOSE!!" He panted, blood dripping from his mouth.  
  
Something had been damaged in his chest and now whenever he spoke blood came with his words. He didn't have enough magic for a healing spell, didn't have any potions left, didn't have any anything. "Damn."   
  
The keyblade didn't respond, merely glowing gently to itself.  
  
Riku let his head fall forward onto his chest. He was so tired; maybe if he just sat down, slept a little, everything would be better when he woke. Maybe...  
  
The keyblade hummed softly before, quite suddenly, shooting out a beam of golden light. Golden light that hit the keyhole... And locked it.   
  
Riku's eyes widened. He couldn't lock the doors, he knew that, he could only open them. He possessed the dark keyblade, forged for a powerful but cruel heart.   
  
The silver key seemed smug. It seemed to be saying, we are more than that now. We are no longer late night marauders made to kill and maim, built to serve. We prove that we can protect as well, we can save and help, we can be good.   
  
Slight smile on his face Riku trudged back to the hot spot and through it to a new world, green and warm.  
  
~~~~~~~~   
  
Sora threw himself backwards onto the warm spring grass. He had found a meadow, full of lush green and delicately colored flowers. He had picked a few and twined them together into a bracelet. He stretched, yawning loudly and basking in the sun. It felt good here. It felt clean here. He hadn't seen a heartless yet and the one person he met on the trail had looked at him like he was crazy when he asked about monsters.  
  
There wasn't a beach in site but somehow the place still reminded him of home, all warm sun and lazy days. The keyblades lay on his left side, playfully zapping each other. His pack, still heavy with potions lay on his other side. Sora knew he should take inventory, be a responsible hero, but he just couldn't work up the will. He let his eyes slip closed, flower bracelet lying on his chest, and fell asleep slight smile on his lips.  
  
~~~~~~~~   
  
Lancelot Lavender Lawrence was exhausted. His arms ached, his back ached, his life ached. His clothes itched on his skin and his axe dug uncomfortably into his shoulder as he walked hurriedly down the path towards his family's cottage.  
  
His mother was going to be furious.  
  
He had been due home an hour ago, but work had run long, and when you were the youngest woodcutter in the county and your middle name was 'Lavender' the other guys didn't tend to feel the same comradery that they did for Jim and Danny. So when he was slow finishing up the guys didn't exactly wait around. Worse, the blade of the axe had another chip in it and the handle was beginning to crack. He knew what would happen if he told his mother though, he would get another rant about how it was good enough for his father and should be good enough for him as well. She didn't seem to understand that his father's faithful axe was now 20 years old and ready to be put out to pasture. Actually, his mother didn't seem to understand a lot of things lately. It had been that way ever since his older sister had "disappeared" taking food to their grandmother. Everyone but their mother knew that the girl had met Bastian B. Zev, the town slacker, on the road and married him a month later, but their mother acted as if Red had died and refused to think differently.  
  
On top of it all, he was fairly certain he was being followed. Every now and then he caught a flicker of black in the brush, just off the path. For now it was keeping its distance, but when night fell all bets were off, everyone knew that.  
  
Lance shifted his axe nervously and picked up the pace. God, he just wanted to be home.  
  
~~~~~~~~   
  
Anti Sora was, in all honesty, a special creature, the problem was that he knew it. He was Riku's sole creation, the only one of his breed. He was also quite bright, which was unusual among the heartless. Intelligent, powerful, skilled, and a real prick, he tended to share his pain with everyone around him.   
  
Right now he was annoyed. He had been sleeping comfortably, only to be awoken by a sudden, almost vicious, jolt of power into _his_ keyblade and he did _not_ like it. Arrogant sneer in place he slid from his resting place and into the real world, prepared to seriously hurt whatever had dared disturb him.   
  
He had taken to sleeping in Riku's black keyblade about the same time Riku began traversing the worlds through magic. In the keyblade he could rest as much as he wanted while being carried around the galaxy. It took no effort on his part and eliminated the risk of being left behind; it was good deal all around. Except that now he had been rudely awoken and he did not like it.  
  
They were in a forest, outside an old wooden shack that Anti Sora, personally, thought was worthy of a quick and painless burning and little else. Worse, from the way Riku had laid out their things it looked like they would be staying there, and he did not like it.  
  
His 'master' was sitting propped against a rock polishing a keyblade. A silver keyblade. Anti Sora scowled, wondering where this new thing had come from and if it was the reason for his disturbance. His own, black, keyblade lay on the ground next to Riku, already cleaned. It was glowing slightly, something it hadn't done for a long, long time.  
  
Still scowling he stalked off to explore the woods, he wasn't tired anymore.  
  
~~~~~~~~   
  
The cool evening air woke Sora from his afternoon nap. The sun was setting, painting the sky a beautiful orange color. He rolled over onto his stomach and stretched, his back popping satisfyingly. He felt a surge of horror when he reached for his keyblades and found that the new one was missing. He sat up in the long grass, crestfallen, sure that the other blade had gone back to its real master, a world away.  
  
It was half an hour later when he picked up the remaining key, intending to cast a fire spell on a small pile of stick he had collected, and noticed the new key chain. It was small, bright gold, and in the shape of an odd little key itself. Eyes narrowing, Sora carefully slid it off. Instantly it changed from a cute little knick-knack to a full sized and very familiar keyblade. It glowed brightly, sending waves of cheerful light out into the deepening dusk. For a few moments the meadow was brightly illuminated, the flowers and grass sparkling. It looked like magic. Sora almost expected firecrackers to go off or for the stars to fall.  
  
In less than a minute everything was normal again, but a minute was long enough, and the dark shapes hovering at the edge of the meadow skulked away, afraid.  
  
Sora lit the dried grass and in a moment there was a small but cheerful fire blazing. He didn't even notice the silent exodus as the monsters around him fled.   
  
~~~~~~~~   
  
Anti Sora was not nearly as happy as his artistic base. He could feel the heartless around him now; the world was positively rotten with them, though for some odd reason it only showed after sunset. He couldn't tell their breed, and didn't particularly want to know.  
  
There were other things too, wandering cautiously in the early darkness. Making the long grass rustle. He wasn't as uncomfortable with these creatures. They ignored him. Anti Sora wasn't even sure if they could see him.   
  
He had followed the woodcutter for a little while, curious, but had grown bored after only a few minutes. He couldn't understand what the creatures saw in the boy, he didn't strike Anti Sora as being particularly appetizing and he certainly had no magic to feed off of.   
  
He had also happened upon his master's little obsession. He had been meandering back to the shack, taking the long way, when he stumbled upon his cheerful flesh-toned twin, sprawled in the grass and sleeping like the dead. He had snapped his fingers a couple times over the boy's head, but the world saver hadn't even twitched. With an eye roll Anti Sora had continued on his way, reaching camp just as night truly fell.  
  
God, he hated this place. 


	5. The Big Spooky Forest

AN: Updating again. I haven't played ff8, I don't know the ff8 Selphie personality, so if she's totally off, I apologize. Also, there's a possibility I will put the Turks back in, since they are fun and generally easy to write, if you have a feeling on this one way or another tell me in a review, I'll probably listen *g*.   
  
Disclaimer: Its still not mine.  
  


  
  


Through These Eyes  
  
Chapter Four  
  
The Big Spooky Forest  
  


  
  
"Who's that I see walking in these woods.  
  


Why it's Little Red Riding Hood."  
  


-Little Red Riding Hood, Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs  
  


  
  
"One day, I will win. Really. Honestly. Though I might have to drug you first, or drop a piano on your head or something." Kairi flopped back into the sand and looked up at the stars. They seemed so far away tonight.  
  
"You're doing really well," Tidus collapsed onto the sand next to her, folding his hands behind his head. "You're just not so good against combos yet, but hey, you'll get the hang of it, they're hard to defend against." He smiled easily. "Oh yeah, I talked to Selphie when you went home for lunch, she says that we have to come on her picnic tomorrow, or we'll be disowned and she'll never help me clean my room again."  
  
Kairi smiled, leaning up on an elbow, "Cool. Do I need to bring food?" It felt so good to have friends again, like she was a part of something.  
  
"Nah, she's providing, but I'd bring stuff anyway, unless you wanna die the unglamorous death salt overload. Selphie adds salt to everything. Even juice, I think." He stretched out in the sand before standing up. "I gotta go home soon or my mom'll pitch a fit, she's been weird lately. You gonna go in?" He cocked his head and smiled down at her.  
  
She looked out at the ocean, watching the waves lap against the shore. She could almost see the yellow eyes there, hovering in the surf. "I'm going in." "Good," Tidus grinned, "I'll walk you."  
  
Kairi smiled gratefully as she stood up and took his hand, "Thanks."  
  
~~~~~~~~  
  
He struggled with the gauze, wrapping it awkwardly around his bicep.  
  
His body ached. What didn't ache burned. What didn't burn throbbed. He glared at Anti Sora, who had finally returned from his morning jaunt and was casually picking his shiny black teeth with a bit of straw. Anti Sora glared back before sticking his tongue out at Riku, throwing the straw at him, and wandering off to cause mischief and mayhem.  
  
Riku sighed. Anti-Sora, his creation, had a bigger attitude problem than all the others combined. It broke things, sneered, and did exactly the opposite of what it thought Riku wanted.  
  
He twisted his head around, getting one end of the bandage between his teeth and pulling the poorly constructed slip knot tight. A red haze of pain floated in front of his eyes and he felt faint. God, did it hurt.  
  
He could always order the dark sora-copy to do what he wanted. The power to control the heartless had not left him. He could force it to be nice to him, force it to help him.  
  
But he didn't. It seemed wrong to use it as a slave just because it was under his power. It seemed cruel.  
  
Ansem would have done it. All of his heartless had been pawns, forced to do anything he said because he was the master and they were the worthless peons under his heels. He had made them, so they served him. That was the way it worked.  
  
Riku twisted the gauze strips together, trying to manage a bow one handed. "I hate this."  
  
The shadow in the floor moved. It had been there, doing its best to be inconspicuous, the entire time. It always hid when Anti Sora was about. Its antenna poked questioningly up from the floor boards. The rest of it soon following.  
  
Riku's fingers slipped and the gauze slid down his arm. "Damn." This was not working. He left it, bowing his head. He felt completely drained. He knew he should be in his element; battle, blood, and brutality. Kill or be killed, fight to the death. Seriousness. Lost heroism, the quest of a tainted knight. All very Riku. But he hated it. It gave him everything he had ever wanted, adventure and power and knowledge, even respect, and he hated it. It was just so hard. And recently he had begun to feel strangely cold, as if ice was spreading throughout his veins. His eyes slid closed, so tired.  
  
Unnoticed, the shadow crept up besides its sulking master and carefully reworked the bandage with its delicate hands.  
  
~~~~~~   
  
An axe isn't like a normal weapon. It's got a little magic in it, no matter its origins, because it is an axe. A twenty year old hand-me-down with a chipped blade and a rotting handle is no exception, in fact, if anything, it's stronger.  
  
On the same note, a woodcutter isn't like a normal man. He's inevitably stable, kind-hearted and strong. Woodcutters were born to be heroes, though princes are a touch more popular in today's literature. And heroes have a little magic in them, too.  
  
Lance was young for a woodcutter; he came at the wrong time, with the wrong name, the wrong shape, and the wrong personality. He was a sweet, hard working, cynic with an awkward balance. He was a teenage Peter Wolf, too old for a popgun and too poor for a rifle, so he had a hatchet instead, and that made him stronger.  
  
But not strong enough to win.  
  
The dark wolf was old. It had lived a million years in a thousand different lands. It had known both woodcutters and princes, maidens and washerwomen, dragons and unicorns. It knew the way the worlds worked. Knew the way they had begun, changed, and possibly even how they would end. And it most certainly knew that no matter how strong, how kind hearted and stable a woodcutter might be, without an axe he was no mightier than a normal man. And the dark wolf wasn't afraid of men.  
  
That was why, when it chose to attack it did not go for Lance's soft human stomach, but rather aimed for the rotten axe handle. And that was why Lance had time to scream.  
  
The wolf turned, snarling through the wooden mouthful. It had leapt clean over its young victim, bearing the dangerously sharp weapon out of his hands to the soft pine needled turf. The old wood cracked between those jaws, and the strong sharp iron fell worthlessly to ground. The dark wolf grinned, splinters still stuck between its gleaming teeth.  
  
Lance kept screaming even as he tried to run.  
  
~~~~~~  
  
Still in the medow, Sora snapped to full attention. He had heard something, like a moan on the wind. The grass was whispering in the slight breeze, brushing his clothes with a quiet rasp, speaking of softness and safety and a dreamless sleep. He listened past it, straining to hear the fear and pain that had woken him from a sound sleep. It was only a feeling, just a hint of something wrong, the slightest tint of red raw blood floating in the wind, but it was enough. He shook his head and leapt to his feet, catching the keyblade up as he went. He sprang through the meadow, over the brush that marked its edge, and into the woods, heels kicking high.  
  
He ran like a hart.  
  
The instinct of a fighter took over, sharpening his senses, deciphering the wicked muttering of a now live forest. They told him to turn back, to climb, to fly away from it all, to hide. He didn't hide.  
  
Instead he raced forward, following the taste of carnage, jumping over the low brush and roots that always seemed to be in his way. And for the first time he heard the noise that had roused him clearly. It was some sort of panting howl, full of hate and fury, mixed with the softer more human sound of terrified screams.  
  
Sora ran faster.  
  
~~~~~~ The dark wolf snarled, face twisting almost comically, and pawed at its muzzle. A long black tongue lolled between parted jaws and twisted up, wrapping around the injured nose. Licking off the blood.  
  
No one had ever kicked it in the face before. No one had ever been fast enough, no one had ever been lucky enough. Usually the attack was over in seconds; the wolf would leap out from under a bush, destroy or steal the weapon and be back in an instant, ripping across its victim's chest, lapping up the dark heart blood as the face contorted and the body cooled. Even those that somehow managed to stumble a few steps would find themselves borne down in a moment and then they could not fight.  
  
This one, this boy, this woodcutter, only managed a single step before it was in the air, but a second before the wolf's leap would have smashed into him from behind, shattering his vertebra, Lance tripped and fell. The dark wolf went over him, the deadly strength bearing it a man-length past its mark. It turned the moment paw touched earth and sprang again in the same second, but, for the first time, it was not enough. Lancelot was powered by fear, which was much stronger than the absent hunger that motivated the dark wolf and while the beast was in the air he had also turned, kicking out at his assailant.  
  
The steel-toed work boot had smashed straight into the wolf's nose, sending blood spraying from its mouth and nostrils, two teeth cracked. And still the boy was screaming.  
  
With a howl of rage the wolf leapt again, but this time there was little precision and its damaged teeth glanced off the young man's thick skull, leaving deep puncture wounds but no death.  
  
Lance curled into a ball on the forest floor, knees drawn up to his stomach and hands gripping the back of his neck, he was an elementary schooler during an earthquake drill, huddled under his desk, only this time it was real. This time the sky was actually falling.  
  
The wolf shook its head, spit and blood flew in the slight breeze and spattered against the tree trunks. It circled its prey, calming down and feeling the amusement of the situation. Seeing this soft little boy huddled on the dirt, his choked sobbing howls filling the air. Feeling oddly generous, it padded up beside him and sat by his head. Wolfy smile in place, it raised its bloody muzzle to the sky and howled as well, harmonizing with its victim.  
  
It was a mistake.  
  
~~~~~~   
  
At first Sora only saw the man. He was lying in the dirt, sobbing and screaming. Then there was movement, something darker in the darkness turning, leaping, savage, snarling.  
  
He felt a burning pain in his arm and watched with disconnected horror as the black monstrosity slunk back, a bit of his sleeve and a bit of his wrist in its mouth. In an instant the thing had swung back to the trembling mass on the ground. Lance had been struggling to stand, to help, to fight, or maybe just to run away and never look back. In a breath he was brought down again, leg opened from knee to hip, red muscle showing beneath torn skin.  
  
Sora didn't gape for long; he raised the keyblade and brought it down in a hard, fast stroke while the wolf's back was to him. But at this point the adrenaline was burning faster in the wolf than in the key bearer. It twisted around in a maniac pirouette and clamped its deadly jaws onto the brightly glowing blade. In a moment the weapon was torn from Sora's hands and tossed with a human's casualty into the underbrush. And it smiled at him, eyes glowing yellow, its mouth blistered and burned.  
  
It lunged, almost leisurely, going for the throat, only to stop half way with a strangled yelp like a startled puppy and wheel around, snapping at its own tail. Three of Lancelot Lavender Lawrence's fingers flew into the brush. The other two held on.  
  
Woodcutters are heroes.   
  
It was just a moment's reprieve. The weak grip of two damaged fingers compared to the strength of an ancient dark wolf is like an ant trying to hold up the world. It only lasts for a breath.  
  
The wolf shook and the blood slicked fingers slipped off its tail, silently hitting the ground.  
  
Sora found himself staring at teeth again, but this time there was nothing leisurely or amused about them.  
  
Still, sometimes a breath is all it takes.  
  
Sora had grabbed his keyblade. He cast Firagra. Again, and again, and again.  
  
This time it was the wolf who screamed, beer yellow eyes widening in pained surprise as its hackles burned away and the blisters in its mouth burst. Blood poured along its tongue and its ears smoldered.  
  
With a wild shriek it ran, tail between its legs and the reek of burning fur clinging to its skin, back into the forest. Foul smoke lingered in the air. It felt like an odd ending, all too sudden.  
  
Sora stared after it for a moment before shaking his head and attending to more pressing matters, like the woodcutter lying on the ground clutching his ruined hand. 'Are you alright?' sounded like a fairly stupid and pointless thing to say, but Sora couldn't think of anything better, somehow 'Are you going to live?' just seemed too impolite. Besides, the boy probably wouldn't know the answer. "Are you okay?"  
  
A choking gasp and weak nod answered him. There was a moment of almost silence, of heavy rasping breath and pained whimpers before: "I-I-I- Cou-could you, maybe, get the rest of my-my," he nodded his head toward a bush. His eyes were huge and glassy, and the skin surrounding them a damp white.  
  
With a bit of a grimace Sora kneeled down and groped under the bush, wincing slightly as he picked up the disembodied fingers. They were still warm.  
  
"May-maybe my mom can put them back," Lance said, his voice was desperately hopeless and tears shined in the oversized eyes. "Maybe..." He tried to stand, pushing up from the ground with his uninjured hand, only to fall back into the dirt. "Th-Thank you."  
  
It hurt to look at him. He was only a few years older than Sora himself. Maybe 17 or 18, and lying there in the dirt in the dark with half a hand and covered in sticky blood.  
  
Sora shook himself and walked up to the felled woodcutter, shyly handing him his lost fingers. "Hold them to the rest of your hand, so that they line up right. I might be able to fix it." His own injury would just have to wait. He closed his eyes and cast Curaga. He really didn't know how well it would work; he had never had to... reattach things before. He could feel the healing power flow through him and the keyblade, could see the green light in his mind, surrounding the woodcutter, replacing bone and muscle, knitting everything back together, strong and healthy again. He waited for a moment before cracking an eye to see how it had worked. He couldn't try again if it had failed, his magic was tapped and all his things had been left in the meadow.  
  
Everything relied on this one spell.  
  
Lance was sitting up, his face still pasty but registering absolute amazement. Sora watched as he gingerly wiggled fingers that only a moment before had been dying under a bush.  
  
~~~~~~  
  
Kairi felt unreasonably exhausted. Her arms ached and she felt absolutely drained. Sure, she had run around all day, true, in the all but blistering sun as well as spending a couple hours getting hit with a stick, but that wasn't really out of the ordinary anymore. She really thought she would have adjusted to her new life style by now, that it wouldn't wipe her out so thoroughly. But then, maybe you never did. Maybe that's why Sora had always seemed so lazy, falling asleep on the beach at every opportunity.  
  
She shook her head, trying to stop thinking about him. That was another thing that she never seemed to adjust to. No matter how tired, or busy, or happy she was, she always ended up thinking about them. Every road, every train of thought seemed to lead back to one or both of her missing friends.  
  
She had never really realized how much a part of her life they had been. Oh, she knew that she loved them, possibly even more than her own family, and she knew that she never wanted to lose them, but she hadn't realized how much she loved them, or how much of her they would take with them if they ever left.  
  
When she lost her heart Sora had found it and kept it for her. She knew that, but somehow she had thought that when he freed it, it would be her's again to keep. She never imagined that he would still take it with him. But somehow he had.  
  
With a tired sigh she drew the blinds and collapsed onto her bed. She dreamed about heat and pigeons.  
  
~~~~~~~  
  
Sora's things were not, as he had thought, resting peacefully, and uselessly, in the meadow. No, in actuality, they were moving at a rather brisk pace down the path. Away from him.  
  
Well, some of them at least.  
  
Anti Sora idly swung the knapsack back and forth. Every now and then he tossed it in the air and caught it again. Well, most of the time he caught it again. Occasionally it hit the ground with a faint tinkling, but the bottles of potion and been carefully padded with Sora's jacket, which had also been left on the little hill.  
  
Anti Sora had rediscovered the meadow after leaving the shack in disgust. His master had been in a pissy mood and getting blood all over the place and the doppelganger had been beginning to worry that he might be called upon to actually do something. So he had vacated the scene in favor of a brisk walk through the forest. He would rather mess with annoyed heartless than deal with Riku in poor mood. It was only a little bit later that he had seen the bright flashes of light coming from up ahead. They had been weak but recognizable, and Anti Sora had headed toward them, hoping for something exciting, like a battle, or a barbeque.  
  
He had been disappointed. By the time he had reached the little meadow the keyblade boy was gone. He had left behind his backpack and few other odds and ends but nothing particularly interesting. Still, Anti Sora dumped out the bag and poked around; it was then that he had noticed the potions and an the accompanying moral dilemma.  
  
His master needed potions. Riku's magic was past drained. In the last world jump he had dipped into his life force for the extra energy needed to travel shipless. So there was no way that Riku could heal himself, his magic wouldn't be strong enough for days, meanwhile, the cough was getting worse and his breathing had gone from raspy to labored. Willpower had kept him going thus far, but it couldn't make dead men walk. And very soon that's exactly what he would be.  
  
So Anti Sora was left with a choice. Take the potions back to his master and have him live, or save himself the trouble of carrying the weight and appearing subservient and let Riku handle the problem himself. He chose option one, mainly because there was just the slimmest possibility that if Riku died then the heartless went with him, and Anti Sora wasn't prepared to rejoin the darkness just yet. Still, he didn't exactly exert himself; he just packed up a couple mega potions and an ether and headed back to the shack. He hoped the silver haired egotist was grateful.  
  
~~~~~~~  
  
The shadow was also worried about its master, although its feelings were much more sincere. Riku had fallen asleep, sprawled out on the dusty floor of the cottage, one arm curled carefully around his stomach, the other lying on the keyblade. He twitched occasionally. His brow was furrowed and his mouth was tight, making him look terribly worried or dismayed. Every now and then he would shift, hand gripping the keyblade so hard that his knuckles went white. When he relaxed again the imprint of the hilt was pressed clearly into his hand.  
  
Once or twice the keyblade had even appeared to be accumulating power. The edges would glow and there would be a low hum, it would stop after a minute or so, and the key would slowly fade back to its usual silver color.  
  
The shadow was afraid that Riku would cast a spell in his sleep, it was afraid that he was responding to some sort of danger, it was afraid that he would never wake up.  
  
Shadows don't have magic. They don't keep items. They're the weakest of the heartless, the canon fodder, sent in first, called back last; expendable. They don't even carry weapons. They fight with their claws and jump up from the floors and then they're hacked to bits and no one really misses them because you can't tell one from another and there are just so damn many of them. Like ants.  
  
It couldn't heal its master. Anti Sora had enough power to do it, just enough, but it would be difficult and a little painful for him so he had opted to slip off. The shadow wasn't really expecting him to come back.  
  
It didn't know what to do.   
  
Its antenna curled with worry, making question marks in the air. It just didn't know what to do.   
  
~~~~~~~  
  
Sora grinned broadly, life was once again good. He was lying sprawled out on a soft bed with a real down comforter in the guestroom of Lance's house while a super-sized breakfast was fried up for him.  
  
The woodcutter's mother was a little scary, but an excellent cook. When the pair had finally stumbled onto the porch at midnight she had been there, fury in her eyes and knitting in her lap. But after looking them over she had silently gone inside and cooked them a large warm dinner, before ordering one of the younger boys to put fresh sheets on the guest bed and inspecting their injures. She didn't say a word about the keyblade, or Sora's odd clothes, or the chipped iron axe head they had carried back, just hugged them both, her eyes tear bright, and gave them extra blankets. Somehow she just seemed to know.  
  
There was a stifled giggle and then the bedroom door burst open and two little girls and a littler boy tumbled into the room, across the floor and onto the foot of the bed. Sora sat up, surprised.  
  
"Are you really a hero? Momma said you were," huge blue eyes looked up at him from underneath soft blonde lashes.  
  
Sora blushed pink, grinning sheepishly, "Um, sorta. I fight monsters sometimes."  
  
"Wow," true awe.  
  
The boy cocked his head to the side, thick black hair falling into his eyes, "do you have a sword?"  
  
"Uh, yeah, sorta. Its this." he lifted the keyblade from where it sat propped against the bed.   
  
"That's not a sword, that's just a big key." The oldest of the girls rolled her eyes. "It doesn't even look sharp."  
  
"How do you know? You're not a hero," the other girl glared at her sister. "Maybe it's a magic key." The boy suggested softly, "Maybe it belonged to a giant or came from a dragon horde or something, then it wouldn't need to be sharp."   
  
"A giant's key? Yeah, it probably went to his cellar. Or even more likely it's some novelty item. He probably got it at the fair."  
  
"He came back after dark! He has to be a hero. Besides, Momma said so." His blonde defender snapped, before turning and smiling at Sora, blushing slightly. "Do you fight lots of-"  
  
"Hey!" Another boy, the one who had prepared Sora's bed the night before, leaned into the room. "It's time for breakfast!" He glared at his siblings. "So that's where you three are. Mary, mom's gonna get you, you were supposed to set the table."  
  
The oldest of the girls shrugged. Obviously she was going through an early rebellious phase. She looked to be about 10, had black hair to match her younger brother's, regal bearing and a royal sneer obviously in the last stages of production.   
  
The blonde girl gently nudged Sora, getting his attention. "I'll show you dining room." She took his hand and smiled.  
  
Sora smiled and followed her.  
  
~~~~~~  
  
It was the sun that woke her. It was shining cheerfully through the window and directly into her face. Kairi yawned and stretched, rolling away from the early morning brightness. It was too early to get up. Still, it wasn't long before the heat and the hunger got her out of bed and dragging her feet into the kitchen.  
  
Her mother was furiously scrambling eggs. A sign that you really didn't want to approach her. Her father was sitting on a stool and reading the paper.  
  
"Hey, Dad?" She paused and he raised his head, "Wheredidwecomefrom?" She almost winced in anticipation. She hadn't asked that question in years.  
  
Her mother stiffened at the stove and her father hesitated, setting down the paper. "Why do you want to know?" His voice was gentle.  
  
"I just, I just want to know where I come from, I want to know my heritage, I guess, my culture." She wanted to know who she was. "I... I just," a shrug, "want to know."  
  
Her father nodded, her mother left the room. "We come from an island east of here." He stood up and crossed the kitchen, clicking off the stove and lifting the egg skillet onto another burner. "There was an earth quake, and a terrible storm. Part of the land fell into the sea. People died. The storm was incredibly strong, but not terribly large, and entirely centered on the land. The beaches flooded. Your mother and I, and many others, went to the boats. The storm destroyed many of them early on. Ours included. So all we could do was sit in the life boats and float away from each other, praying that the storm would end, praying that we would find land. And we, at least, did. Our boat landed here. On this island. So here we stayed." He smiled sadly at her, carefully moving eggs from pan to plate. "Your mother doesn't like to talk about it. She likes to imagine that it never happened, that we've always been here and that these people have always been our friends and family. Our only friends and family." He passed her a plate. "The island is completely gone now. The mayor sent out a few people to look for it, and for survivors. Neither were found."  
  
Kairi poked at her eggs. "Why didn't you ever tell me? Why's it always been some big secret?" She looked up, into her father's blue eyes.  
  
He shrugged. "You didn't need to know. After all, you didn't remember anything. And your mother didn't want to have to think about it."  
  
"But... But this is my history. Shouldn't I have known?"  
  
"Why? What does it matter? It doesn't change you. You know, people always talk about blood being thicker than water. About the past catching up. Like that's supposed to mean something. What are you supposed to do about it? Blood is thicker than water, I suppose, in a literal sense, but what does that mean? Blood doesn't mean anything more than you want it to. And as for the past, what happened once before might affect you again, but does that mean you have to dwell on it? To think of nothing else? If you don't leave it behind you, then where do you put it? In front of you? In the middle of your life?" He shrugged again, and paused to take a bite of eggs. "Your history, it doesn't really matter, it shouldn't change who you are. But, in case it does, in case you want it to," he smiled at her across the table. "Now you know." 


	6. The Slow Burn

AN: Sorry for the long update delay. I've had to write papers recently and its been stealing time not so much from the fanfic writing, but from the massive fanfic editing proccess. I live in fear that I'll sink the story by making a really stuuuupid error.  
And now to answer review question *happy dance*.  
Shingo: Ah. Lancelot is me cheating. I wanted a fairly specific world for this part so I used one of my own. If it helps, Lance is the name of my character in Harvest Moon: Save the Homeland ^^ And it'll revert to primarily video game worlds again after they finish with this one.   
  
Disclaimer: Its not mine. It belongs to either disney or microsoft like the rest of the world.   
  


  
  


Through These Eyes  
  
Chapter Six  
  
The Slow Burn  
  


  
  
"She says, "Just let it hurt"  
  
I say, "I'm nervous" - She says, "you're perfect"  
  
I say, "It'll hurt us" - She says, "just let it"   
  
- She Says, XP8  
  


  
  
Riku was much slower to wake that morning than either of his childhood friends. The event was also punctuated by significantly more moaning, swearing, and ragged breathing than the others had experienced.  
  
Sitting up _hurt_. His legs were asleep, his chest ached, the muscles across his abdomen burned and he felt a little overheated. Which was really odd, since he hadn't thought he'd be able to sit up at all today, and even stranger, he could feel his magic again. He wasn't drained past empty anymore, in fact, if he wanted to, he might be able to manage a cure spell. Impressive.  
  
He looked around, trying to work out what changed, what miracle had taken place. The shadow capered at his side, antenna wriggling wildly, projecting feelings of excitement, pleasure, relief. A little beyond it stood Anti Sora, smirking as usual. As Riku watched the smirk grew into a full fledged 'I'm-a-Jerk' grin and the heartless held up his hands. Sora's jacket was in one, his backpack in the other. He threw the bag at his master's head, the remaining mega potion tinkling within.  
  
Riku stared for a moment, automatically catching the bundle before it could slam into his face; then his brain clicked. "Oh my God." It was a miracle all right, and the most spectacularly wonderful miracle Riku could imagine. A burning bush with angel wings could have told him that he was the ruler of the universe and there was a harem of men and women, all looking like Ben Affleck and Angelina Jolie, respectively, waiting for him in his magical castle (complete with theme park) and he still wouldn't have been half as thrilled. Well, okay... Maybe half. Or possibly even three quarters. After all, world domination and Laura Croft weren't things to be scoffed at.  
  
Still, this was the best.  
  
Sora was here. He resolutely ignored the little voice in the back of his head that told him maybe he shouldn't get his hopes up so easily, after all, the brunette could have moved on by now, or someone could have taken his things from him as easily a Anti Sora had taken them from whoever. Luckily, Riku was not one who let his doubts get the better of him.  
  
Anti Sora was skipping in place, Sora's jacket thrown over one of his shoulders and his master's beaten black keyblade in hand. Every five seconds or so he would look pause and look around, eyes comically wide. The shadow sat half in the floor, watching with wary amusement. Anti Sora batted his eyelashes when he caught Riku looking, simpering on the spot. He threw off the act a second later. The smirk was back, smug and lewd as he held up Sora's jacket again, shaking it slightly before making a truly obscene gesture involving the keyblade and both hands.  
  
Riku glared and rolled his eyes. "Well, I'm glad you remember who he is at least. It'll help when you go looking for him."  
  
Anti Sora looked affronted. He sat down and crossed his arms, black nose in the air.  
  
"It's not so terribly unreasonable, you know. You can just split up." Anti Sora pretended not to hear.  
  
"Fine." Riku's smile was just a touch nasty. For a moment, he once again looked like the boy who would fight old friends and scoff at new allies, who would trade honor and love for power. He closed his eyes, concentrating. The shadow disappeared, slipping into the floor and Anti Sora twitched slightly, watching from the corner of an eye, suspicious.  
  
In the middle of the room a new shape pulled together, born from the shadowed corners and Riku's magic. It smiled at its new master, bowing slightly, black shadowed hair falling across its eyes.  
  
"You're looking for a live version of him," Riku pointed to Anti Sora where he huddled against the wall, glaring in a mixture of fury and shock. "You are not to hurt him, no matter what. When you find him report back to me."  
  
The new heartless nodded elegantly, eyes half closed, and walked through the wall into the forest beyond.  
  
Anti Sora looked positively scandalized.  
  
~~~~~~~   
  
Donald Duck, magician for the most powerful court in all of Disney, didn't wake up at all.  
  
~~~~~~  
  
Blood. Blood everywhere and never ending heat. Things made odd noises like whimpers and screams, scurrying across the ground on sharp little claws cracked to the quick. There wasn't enough water, not enough water in all the world, in all the universe, to stop the unbearable heat in the skin and in the brain and along every nerve fiber and muscle. Everything running so hot, the tap thrown all the way into the red zone, boiling in the sink, and not even the damp earth was cool enough, no matter how deep you dug there was only more burning. Crackling noises all around like a fire but it was only your feet on the brush but then again maybe it wasn't. Maybe it was your feet burning the brush, that would explain the pain and the throbbing and the anger. The cave-rock is sharp and cuts your, my, our face but at least its not so hot and a little of its iciness burns its way through our eyes into our mouth, past the throbbing to cool something important. Warm, wet, blood everywhere going down our face because the rock is sharp and everything has a price, pain in exchange for heat, red raw blood released, might dispel the burning in our veins, but its all worth it, anything to make it stop. Anything.  
Stop.  
  
Stop.  
  
Stop.  
  
~~~~~  
  
He was the center of attention and he was loving it. Lance sat next to him, helping to tell the story between mouthfuls of eggs and honeyed ham. All eyes were on Sora; Amelia, his ever blushing defender, was staring at him with pure adoration and even Mary was listening, though she pretended to be absorbed in her food.  
  
"This isn't a place where you travel after dark." Mrs. Lawrence said when they had finished the story. "There are dangerous things in those woods." She glared disapprovingly at her eldest son. "The town isn't too far away. You can ask about your friends there, and maybe get yourself some new clothes as well," she gaze shifted back to Sora, eyeing the stained red jumpsuit he still wore with some distaste. "Just make sure you stay on the path." She smiled, then seemed to pause, eyes narrowing in thought. "Actually, Mary had best show you. Easy to get lost if you wander." Her piercing gaze said quite clearly that she knew he was a wanderer.  
  
The dark haired girl rolled her eyes. "Mother, it's not hard, he won't get los-" Her mother's sharp look cut her off. The girl's shoulders slumped and she sighed theatrically. "Oh, all right. I'll show 'im."  
  
"Wonderful." Mrs. Lawrence smiled benevolently, "I'll just put together a lunch for you two. Oh, and Mary, you can drop this basket off at your grandmother's on your way back, she's been a bit under the weather lately." She ignored her daughter's muted mutters and turned to Sora, pressing something thin and papery into his hands. "This is for you, dear, get something nice, okay?"  
  
He blushed, stuttering his thanks and stuffing the money into a pocket. It was very obviously different than the munny used in Traverse Town and he couldn't afford to turn it down. Mrs. Lawrence smiled at his discomfiture, patting his head in a way that reminded him painfully of his own mother, so very far away.  
  
Mary glared at the floor, just this edge of tapping her foot impatiently while her randomly oblivious mother put together the baskets.  
  
~~~~~   
  
"Has anyone else's parents been acting really weird lately?" Tidus lounged against a large palm tree, legs stretched out in front of him on the plastic checkered tablecloth that was serving as their picnic blanket. "I barely got out of the house this morning. My mom kept going on about riptides and storms, like I hadn't lived on an island my whole life." He rolled his eyes.  
  
Wakka shrugged without actually moving, "Haven't noticed anything myself, man. But my dad says there's a storm coming in. Maybe the pressure change's got her out of sorts, eh?" He was totally sprawled out and using his blitz ball as a pillow. He would have smiled reassuringly, except that required motion.  
  
"My parents have been a bit weird too, now that I think about it." Selphie was actually sitting up, unlike the others, a half finished friendship bracelet in her lap. "Dad seems kind of on edge, and mom helped me bring all the stuff over, which is a bit out of the ordinary. Its like she didn't want to leave me alone."  
  
Kairi shook her head, "Weird."  
  
~~~~~  
  
The spacious aircraft hanger was dusty and dead. The room was dark in places, lights bulbs having blown years ago and left unchanged. The fluorescents that remained were dimmed by dust and the pile up of generations of small flying bugs.  
  
"Hey, I thought the space program was cut, y'know, so the execs could get another pay raise?" The slightly sarcastic voice echoed around the hanger, adding an even eerier edge to the already creepy place.  
  
"It was," exasperated, "But not before this ship was built. It's a wonderful design."   
  
"Yeah, right. Is it safe?" He tapped the brightly colored monstrosity, making a face at the oddly elastic feel.  
  
"Ha, since when have you cared about being safe? My life flashes before my eyes every time you drive!"  
  
"Enough." His nearly silent footsteps matched his voice, deeply calm, stable, utterly in control. Sable was the most fitting description of him. From the color of his eyes to the depths of his voice and even the car he drove. His was the darkest black and the richest brown. "Everything is packed, I assume? Good. Time to go." There was no echo.  
  
"Yes, sir.  
  
"Shit, we're all going to die." The words hung in the air long after the ship was catapulted into space.  
  
~~~~~  
  
Sora walked easily next to Mary. The morning was bright and the forest felt gentle and fresh again. There was no sign of heartless, giant wolves or even your common household serial killer. In fact, the only let down so far had been finding his things scattered all over the meadow. Stupid monsters.  
  
Sadly, his chaperone didn't share in the good cheer. "Would you hurry up? We need to get to town _before_ dark." She rolled her eyes for the ninth time since setting out. Sora got a sympathetic headache just watching her.  
  
"I'm sure we'll get there." He picked up the pace a bit, nonetheless. The sooner they reached town the sooner he would be free of her. He didn't understand why she had been sent with him in the first place; the path was clear and easy to follow, he hardly needed a guide.  
  
It was then that he caught the glitter of gold out of the corner of his eye and turned. "Hey, what's that?" He squinted, trying to locate the shine again, before leaning forward and working his way into the brush. It had to be right around here. He pushed aside a clump of weeds, peering at the ground ahead. And was halted by a rough yank on the back of his shirt.  
  
"Hey! What are you doing?" He turned to glare at Mary.   
  
"Keeping you on the path." Eyeroll number ten. "You foreigners are all the same. Going off into the forest at dusk like its nothing."  
  
Sora gave her a look, after all, where he came walking at night was nothing. "What's the big deal? I'm not going far, and it's not even near dusk! I just want to see what was shining."  
  
"Rule number one: Don't be outside at night. Rule number two: Stay on the road. It's not that hard to remember. Honestly. "She gave him a once over, "You really don't know any better do you?"  
  
Sora shrugged. Once, not all that long ago, he would have snapped back, defended his ignorance, but the truth was that she was right, he _didn't_ know better. He wondered what had changed. He used to be so confrontational, everything was a fight, or a race, or an argument; winning made him right, losing made him wrong. Except with Kairi, who didn't want to race, or fight, or argue. And with Riku even when he won, he lost. The other boy had a tendency to shrug it off as if the contest didn't mean anything at all, a fact which had always absolutely infuriated Sora...  
  
A heavy sigh pulled him away from his thoughts. Mary had stopped, waiting for him to catch up with her. "The reason you shouldn't wander off the path," she started, voice missing the acidic edge that had marked their prior conversations, "is because it's terribly hard to find your way back." She held up a hand, staving off protests Sora hadn't even thought of yet, "I know you were only going to go a couple steps, at least, that's what you thought, but sometimes you don't realize how far you've gone until you look back and don't see anything you recognize." She looked up at him and he nodded for her to continue. "The forest moves. Even during the day. So it's easy to get lost. The town and the path and the houses and even that hill you were camped out on all stay where they belong, but the forest moves." She locked eyes with him, smiling sugary sweet, eyebrows raised slightly, "So we don't wander off the road."  
  
~~~~~   
  
Anti Sora was absolutely furious, and it showed. How dare he? How _dare_ he make another one? He was supposed to be one of a kind, special, magical even. The wonderful thing about Anti Sora was that _he was the only one_! And now Riku, his self-centered, moronic, ungrateful 'master' had ruined it all. There was the deep lowl of a behemoth in the distance, but Anti Sora barely heard it, too wrapped up in self righteous fury. How _dare_ he? And after all that he'd done for him? He really should have just let the bastard die, existence be damned.  
  
Even worse, the new creation wasn't _exactly_ identical to him. If it had been a double, a clone of a clone, he could have tried forcing it to merge with him, commanding it, or if worst came to worst, hitting it in the back of the head with a shovel and drowning it in the nearest river. But nooooo, this was the same as him, but not the _same_ as him.  
  
This one wasn't the copy of a slightly ditzy keybearer; this one was a doppelganger of Riku himself.   
  
Anti Sora snarled silently. It made him look rabid. He could not believe this.  
  
He was following sulkily behind his replacement, hands shoved in his pockets, eyes narrowed. They had been walking for almost twenty minutes now and he would have loved to lounge in the keyblade, but there was no way he was going leaving that thing to its own devices, no way.   
  
The newest heartless didn't seem to notice the potent hatred pouting behind him. He was all elegance and stability. He knew that their prey was much farther along, but they would catch up, eventually. He had spotted the keybearer heading this way a few hours before and reported it to his master as ordered. It had taken another fifteen minutes for Riku to shake off a wave of dizziness and coax the shadow out of the floor, then they had been on their way. If the brunette had any sense he would be spending the night in town, they would catch him there.  
  
Riku would have liked to travel faster, but he was still tired. He had also heard about Mary, and just didn't think he could deal with another person right now. He remembered with painful clarity what had happened the last time he had met up with Sora when the other boy had company; Riku had joined the dark side while the 'keybearer' flew around the universe with a duck in a sailor's hat. He was really not looking forward to a repeat performance of the past year. This time, he wanted to speak to Sora and only Sora.  
  
He shook his head, dispelling the lingering thoughts, before carefully rotating his left shoulder, stretching the aching muscles. He was still fairly sore, though not, perhaps, as sore as some; he smiled at Anti Sora's hunched back. The heartless was obviously in full blown sulk mode. Riku's smile widened, evil at the edges. The wonderful thing about Anti Sora was that he couldn't talk.  
  
~~~~~  
  
Lance was really screwed. His axe was at home in pieces, his hand hurt and the others were teasing him. He couldn't really blame them; none of their mothers had walked them to work, kissed them on the cheek and told them to stay out of trouble. They would be calling him a mama's boy for weeks. He swung his borrowed hatchet, wincing as the handle cut into his palm. How he wished he had been born a blacksmith.  
  
~~~~~  
  
Every universe is different. Not just in terms of terrain, or people, or monsters, but in fabric of its reality. It goes beyond simple laws, the failing of gravity in one world or the spontaneous creation of matter in another is nothing particularly important in the scheme of things. They're just divergences on the same ride, door number three in a single house. A new universe is a separate ride with a nearly identical track. A different universe means a different reality, which is why the world order and, as Goofy had cheerfully misspoken so long ago, the world border is so important. Seepage must be controlled. The theories of action in one universe cannot be allowed to taint another.  
  
For example, in the Disney Galaxy true evil is a clear cut thing. It's inevitably related to the desire for power, a truth mirrored in a million other realities. But in Disneyland that power lust is ultimately empty. It yields nothing. The true evil has no goal beyond ultimate control. You could give them vengeance, give them riches, give them women and respect, but if they didn't have the ultimate position of power they would never be content. Hades could kill Hercules and live in Olympus, have his great brother bow down to him, but until he was the ruling god in truth and title he would not rest. The true Disney villains are also, invariably, cruel to all, even their redeemably evil henchmen. They kick them, shout at them, betray them, blame them. They hurt others without purpose and without meaning.  
  
In other universes evil is a much more uncertain concept. In the land of green, where Sora and Riku were playing a rather twisted game of hide and seek, evil is based on instinct. The dark wolf was evil, and like the Disney monsters a great deal of that evil stemmed from desire, but it was a more primitive desire, the mindless hate of anything which defied it and the restless need to devour anything with red running blood. It was only active at night.  
  
But that was changing.  
  
When the heartless broke the seals on the worlds they brought with them the ruling ideals and inherent values of all the places they had been to before. They transferred the theories of action, the nature of beasts, from one reality to another like rats with the plague, breaking down the rails that the receiving universe drove on, forcing it to accept, to internalize the new truths or to break apart.  
  
It drove the dark wolf mad.  
  
It drove it into the sunlight.  
  
~~~~~  
  
The town was much busier than Sora had expected. There were people everywhere, bustling busily from shop to shop. Most of them were dressed in what the keybearer considered 'farm clothes', overalls and checked shirts on the men and large light colored dresses with vague flower patterns for the women.  
  
Mary was annoyed again. "Something's messing with the story." she muttered, scanning the throngs of people.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Never mind, you wouldn't understand."  
  
"Uh huh." Sora struggled to stop wondering what she had meant, since obviously he wasn't going to get an explanation and would like to retain his sanity until he found his way home, at least. He turned his attention to the shops, peering through the windows, looking for one that sold clothing, or food.  
  
Mary grabbed his shoulder and pointed across the dusty dirt road, "The tailor's is over there, he's bound to have something that'll almost fit you. When your done meet me at the Bear's Bed and Breakfast, it's the last building on the left, okay?" She waited for him to nod before striding purposefully up the boardwalk and into the crowd.  
  
Sora milled for a moment, still uncertain, before shrugging to himself and entering the designated store.  
  
There were a lot of clothes, that was to be expected, but Sora hadn't thought there would be so many that he would get lost the moment he entered the room. He pressed through the dense forest of coat hangers and pant legs, past plaid and stripes a one very odd fish patterned jacket. It was almost like swimming, the smooth soft materials parting in front of him and closing behind, at least until he tripped over a stool and fell into a ragged clearing.  
  
A young man with a feather in his hat looked down at his sprawled form with wide hazel eyes. "May I help you?"  
  
Sora scrambled to his knees and grinned sheepishly upward, "Uh, I'm looking for some new clothes..." As if that wasn't a given, his expressive face fell slightly, and the sheepishness grew. "But I don't have much money."  
  
The youth smiled easily, "No, really?" He helped Sora up before turning away to the silk and wool woods. "I've don't think I have anything that'll fit you perfectly. Actually, I know that I don't, but you can give these a try," he held up a cotton peasant shirt and threw a pair of canvas trousers over Sora's arm before pushing the keybearer past a sheet and into a small dressing… nook.  
  
Sora had just managed the fastenings on the pants when the older boy leaned back into the makeshift room. He stared critically for a moment. "I can take up the pants a bit, but you'll still need a belt, probably want a vest too. How little money are we dealing with here?" He pushed past the sheet, pins in hand.  
  
"Uh," Sora dug into the pockets of his jumpsuit, pulling forth the paper dollars given him by Mary's mother. He held them up for inspection.  
  
"Oh, that's not so bad, you can manage with that." The tailor dropped down in front of him and rolled up the trouser legs. "Do you need these today?" "Yeah."   
  
"Thought so." His expression was more smirk than smile.  
  
~~~~~~  
  
Mary wasn't having much luck either. She had questioned a number of the bar's patrons before being thrown out, but not one had seen a talking duck or a dog with a shield. A few remembered a young man with white hair though. They said he had passed through about a week ago, no one got his name, no one knew where he had gone and no one wanted him to come back. And to finish polish off her wonderful afternoon, Sora was taking absolutely forever.  
  
If he didn't show up soon Mary was seriously considering just going home. Sora was a big boy, he had money, he could take care of himself. She rolled her eyes at no one and sipped her milkshake. She couldn't leave, her mother would kill her, but then her mother would also kill her if she wasn't home by dark, it was a bad situation all over. Plus she still had her grandmother's basket, but she was afraid to go drop it off in case Sora showed up while she was away. And who knew what he'd get up to if left to his own devices.  
  
And so it was that she hardly noticed when a brown haired teen in a white cotton shirt sat down across from her. "Sorry, but I'm waiting for someone."  
  
"I thought that was me." Sora cocked his head to the side, raising an eyebrow.  
  
Mary did a double take; the boy looked a lot different in clean clothes. He seemed taller, possibly because his shirt wasn't one with his pants and the legs didn't look balloons had been stuffed up them. He was actually, almost, a little bit cute. "I- Yes." She set both hands on the table, regaining her composer and her annoyance. "What took you?"  
  
"The, ah, tailor made all these alterations. Then he made me try on all these different vests. Then he showed me all these cool coats and stuff that I couldn't afford. Then I left and," Sora's brows pulled together in remembered confusion, "some guy tried to trade me beans for my cow..." he looked up, "I don't have a cow."  
  
Mary sighed, "No surprise. Taylor has too much fun with life. You let him give you the grand tour, didn't you?"  
  
Sora nodded. That was another change in his personality that he hadn't really noticed. He was significantly more patient.  
  
"I couldn't find what I was looking for, there's not a hero in town. Not even a second-rater like Star." She gave Sora a half-hearted glare over her glass, as if it was his fault, "I guess you aren't as special as you think you are. Still," She sighed, "someone really should have shown up. A wolf attack and an addled foreigner should have gotten at least a _little_ notice."  
  
"Notice? Notice from who?"  
  
"From the world! It should have happened, something's wrong. The isn't the way stories go."   
  
"You know, you could explain some of this to me. _I'm_ supposed to be the addled one here."   
  
"You wouldn't understand. Just know that things aren't right." She settled her head in her hands, "Incidentally, a few people remember a boy with white hair coming through here a bit ago. He probably-"  
  
"What?!" Sora stood up sharply, knocking over his chair, "Which way did he go? Was he hurt?" Patience: gone.  
  
"Hey! He left town on the eastern road, but- Hey! Wait! Where are you going? You can't just leave! Wait!"   
  
But Sora was already out the door and half way down the road.  
  
~~~~~~  
  
She wasn't sure when the races had descended into some sort of wild tag match, only that it had happened. They had chased each other up and down the beach for half an hour before exhaustion set in and they ended up in a dog pile on top of Wakka. The tall beach bum complained loudly, but didn't seem to really mind. It had been a wonderful day, full of sun and swimming and food and jokes. Kairi and Selphie had teamed up and knocked the boys on their asses in the surf. They had dug up a dozen sparkling shells from the ocean floor, settling them in a line on the beach and placing empty bets on which little hermit crab would skitter back into the water first. Wakka had eaten a whole papou fruit in four bites and declared himself a bachelor forever. Kairi blushed when Tidus smiled at her and then they had all gobbled down a pink frosted cake that was so sugary it took ten years of your teeths' lives. The sun was huge and shining orange as it set against the water and the sand was pleasantly warm under foot.  
  
And then they were walking home and Kairi couldn't stop smiling.  
  
It was good to have friends again.  
  
~~~~~~  
  
Sometimes it seems that the world is conspiring against you.  
  
Riku was all but convinced of it.   
  
He had been listening to the pained bellows for twenty minutes and only able to make a very general guess as to how far off they were, but it was a hell of a lot farther than he had wanted to go. He could have ignored the sounds, let the monster take care of itself; he had seriously considered it, but the idea wouldn't sit right with him. Abandoning the beast to fate would be... just... just heartless. He wouldn't be that anymore.  
  
Which left him standing in front of a half grown behemoth, up to his waist in mud with no ideas. The young heartless had gone to roll in the wallow, rather like an elephant, and gotten itself stuck. It lay on a heaving side, slowly sinking deeper into the black muck, eyes glossing over, while Riku pushed uselessly against its shoulder. It just wasn't strong enough to pull itself out of the sucking depths, and the efforts of a few people, ten times smaller than it, wasn't going to help much.   
  
The heartless Riku sat on the sidelines, also mud streaked, with the shadow next to him and a dirty pad of paper in his hand. They were trying to work out a plan. Anti Sora was further away, still pristine, and still sulking.  
  
Riku wasn't sure where the paper and pen had come from, maybe Sora's bag, or maybe his own things, or possibly some type of alternate dimension full of stationary, but he was glad for it. It was much easier to interpret written words than pantomimes, no matter how elaborate they might be. So far four thoughts had been carefully written on to the thin sheets before being scratched off. Riku had come up with a few of his own ideas as well, with just as little luck. He leaned against the monster's foreleg, thinking, maybe if he froze some of the mud they could crack it up and push the behemoth back onto it feet. "Hey, you, come here," He nodded at his black clone. It looked at him for a moment, before scribbling furiously and holding up the paper for him to read.  
  
'Remington'  
  
Riku blinked. "All right... Remington, could you come over here? Give me a second, then try to lever it up..." He gestured uselessly.  
  
On the other side of the wallow Anti Sora's eyes widened with shocked hatred. Up to that point he had been too immersed in his own melodrama to pay much attention to the plight of the trapped heartless. He had watched the proceedings absently, taking only the slightest pleasure in the sight of Riku and Riku2 slipping around in the muck. Still, he had been watching closely enough to catch the last exchange. Remington? _Remington?_ That _thing_ had a name now? He bristled with fury. _He_ didn't have a name, not a _real_ one. He was just anti sora, fake sora, the not real sora. Shadow black teeth clenched with injured rage. Was that other one really so much better than him? So much more wonderful than him that it, that thing, deserved its very own name?   
  
It was too much.  
  
Too much. Anti Sora stood up, waded purposefully into the mud, grabbed the whimpering behemoth by the horn and disappeared. His silhouette could be seen moving jerkily in the rocky ground, a large shadowy blotch trailing behind him. Anti Sora rematerialized on solid ground, a good fifteen feet away, the behemoth at his side. He released the beast and wiped thick black mud off his face before turning, flipping off _Remington_, and stalking away.  
  
His golden eyes glowed tear bright.  
  
~~~~~~  
  
The world wasn't being particularly kind to Mary either.  
  
"He just ran off! We should be going home now! It's going to be dark in a couple hours; he'll never make it, the little idiot." Mary wasn't, as Sora had guessed, ten. She was actually a small twelve with the sense of a thirty year old and the attitude problem of a teen. Taylor the tailor was amused.  
  
"He seemed like a tough sort, I think he'll manage." he smiled briefly at her pacing back before returning to his hemming.  
  
"Mama's gonna kill me. It's like losing the cow only worse." She turned large jade green eyes on him. "Taaaylor, can't you go look for him? Pweeaaase?" The lower lip trembled.  
  
He smiled kindly, "Not for all the gold in the world."  
  
Mary's expression changed instantly, "Well, what kind of hero are you! You bragger, all that seven with one blow rot and you won't even go catch a little lost boy? You're worthless... And I'm dead."   
  
"Hey, I already won my princess." He put down his sewing to settle a companionable arm around her shoulders, "Trust me, he can take care of himself."  
  
Mary shrugged him off, glowering darkly, "News flash," she snapped, "Your princess is cheating on you with a frog." And with that she stormed through the racks of clothing and out the door.  
  
Taylor smiled after her and shook his head.  
  
~~~~~~  
  
Sora was two and a half miles out of town before it occurred to him that running off into an evil forest, alone, a few hours before night fall, might not be the wisest decision of his young life. Still, he was all ready there and on the all important trail of his best friend, who was also out alone in an evil forest, so he figured he might as well keep going. Not to mention the fact that he had already left the path and hadn't the slightest idea how to find it again, so he didn't really have all that much choice in the matter.  
  
He pressed on, away from the lowering sun and into the rapidly darkening forest. It was funny. There had to be some hours before the night truly fell, but the shadows were already large and long. The whispers were starting as well, just on the edge of hearing, a gently frightening rasp.  
  
One hand held tight to the warm metal of the keyblade, ready for any monsters that might attack, while the other pushed aside branches and trailing vines. The wind whistled through the leaves, pulling at his clothes and vest, chilling his skin.  
  
It was creepy, much creepier than the night before. The air was icy in his chest and throat, burning like peppermint.   
  
Sora's brows drew together and he came to a halt. He cocked his head quizzically before closing his eyes and rocking into the breeze, inhaling deeply. It smelled of water and wildflowers with just the faintest hint of chocolate, and on it rode the sound of someone crying.  
  



	7. Wolves in the Walls

AN: Sorry for the REALLY long update delay. I know some things might seem a little off in this chapter, but hopefully they wont. I have nothing else to say.  
  
Disclaimer: Notta mine. Well, some of the characters are, but none that anyone would want.  
  


  
  


Through These Eyes  
  
Chapter Seven  
  
Wolves in the Walls  
  


  
  
"Every whisper  
  
Of every waking hour I'm  
  
Choosing my confessions  
  
Trying to keep an eye on you"  
  
- Losing my Religion, REM  
  


  
  
~~~~~~ 

Riku sighed and rubbed his temples before absently batting away the large mouth trying to nibble his hair. Operation Monster Mover had been exhausting, even if none of his personal efforts had been successful. That, plus the mental drain from having an absolutely furious Anti Sora pacing around had left Riku with a pounding headache and a bone deep weariness. To top it all off, the young behemoth absolutely refused to move unless it could see silver haired keybearer. It followed him like a love starved puppy and tried to chew on his head every few minutes.

At first he had tried to leave it, hoping it would go find mommy or whatever it was that made baby heartless and go off on it own. But it followed them relentlessly, shrugging off Riku's orders with apparent ease. Anti Sora was riding it.

The clone lay stretched out on its back, glaring at the sky, and it said something for his current level of pissyness that he didn't even try to bait his master.

The shadow was in the ground under their newest addition, in the hopes that Anti Sora was an out of sight out of mind sort of guy. Which, of course, he wasn't, but the doppelganger's mind was far too full of dark images involving the Riku clone and about a million acupuncture needles.

Remington walked behind the rest of the group, gate measured and easy, note pad shoved into a shadowy pocket. He was the only one completely at ease.

With a heartfelt sigh Riku signaled them to stop. The sun was below the tree line now, they had lost their only bearing back to the road. "We'll stay here for the night." He ran a hand across the behemoth's head, wiping away some of the dirt. It nuzzled his chest before sinking slowly to the ground. It didn't understand the human words, but it could tell there would be no more traveling today.

Anti Sora slid off the broad back and walked stiffly away, shoving Remington as he passed, before disappearing deeper into the forest.

The affronted heartless watched him leave, expression considering.

~~~~~~

Mary sat on the edge of the boardwalk, head in her hands. No one in town would go search for Sora, not tonight, and it was too late to go ask her elder sister for help, she would never make it there before dark. She didn't know what to do.

Well, okay, that wasn't true. She did know what to do. Go home, tell mother what had happened, write up a will. Still, it wasn't a very appealing thought.

She could go look for him herself, but that was really asking for it, from both the monsters and her mother. Even if she survived one, she surely wouldn't survive the other. She closed her eyes and sighed heavily, another skill sharply honed. She didn't really have much of a choice at all. "I'd best go home."

"No, really?"

Another sigh. "Go away, Taylor. You're no help."

"I'll walk you home."

She raised her head, glaring at him, "I can make it by myself, I'm the tough sort, too."

He smiled down at her, eyes glowing gently in the remaining light. "I'll walk you home."

~~~~~~

"Heeelloooo?" Sora cocked his head, listening for an answer. He could hear pained whimpers coming from deeper within the forest, carried by the cool candy scented breeze. "Hello?! Riku? Is that you?" His only answer was a weak wail that might have been the wind through the branches.

Except that it wasn't.

Sora hesitated for a moment, he had finally rediscovered the path, or a path at least, and really didn't want to lose it again. But there was the possibility that those weak noises were Riku, or some other innocent, and he couldn't just ignore them. With an expression more resembling grimace than his usual grin, Sora once again veered off the road and into the brush.

It rustled loudly as he pressed through it, thorns he didn't remember being there cutting his hands and face. The whining grew louder and more desperate as he got closer, or perhaps as the sun set lower.

The trees played tricks with the sound, despite the volume increase, and Sora nearly fell over the lean figure sprawled on the ground before him. Would have, if it hadn't cringed when his shadow fell across it. "Whoa!" Sora jerked back, regaining his balance.

The creature huddled into a ball and whined, sounding truly pathetic; it was covered in dirt and leaves.

Sora knelt down besides it, worried. "Hey, what's wron-"

It lunged with all the speed of the dark wolf, knocking him on his back in the soft dirt, muddy hands gripping his shirt, face twisted into a furious snarl. One angry blue eye glared at him.

Sora, wide eyed with shock and a trickle of fear, struggled to get the keyblade between him and the creature. He wriggled madly and kicked out at the thing's legs, but it didn't lose its hold. He could feel its breath on his face, hot and sick. One of its hands grabbed his chin, and suddenly his head was still, held unmoving by a grip like steel.

All at once the creature stopped and drew away, its head cocked quizzically, confusion replacing the burning fury. "You- You're just a boy."

Sora kicked it in the chest and scrambled back, raising the keyblade in front of him. The thing didn't follow, just hunched over, leaning on its arms, and staring at him. It was then that Sora realized he was looking at a man. He was filthy, more child than adult, but definitely human, with grey-white hair, feminine hands, and one bright blue eye that trained itself warily on him. "Well, what else would I be?" Sora snapped, annoyed, "I've been calling for twenty minutes."

The boy shrugged, managing to look sullen and apologetic at the same time.

"What are you doing out here any- Oh." There was a rusty, jagged toothed wolf trap clamped tightly on the boy's ankle. Sora's eyes followed the chain trailing from the trap to the large spike stuck in the ground. "Oh."

"I can't get it off." The boy was back to looking pathetic, his eye clouded with pain.

"Oh." Sora stared. It was a terrible sight, blood mixed in with torn flesh and shards of white that might be bone. "I-I'm sorry. I don't, I wouldn't know how to open it either... I'll go look for help, there's got to be someone around here somewhere." He stood up.

"No!" The young man scrambled to his hands and knees, damaged leg stretched out behind him, "Please! Please, don't leave me." Tears shimmered in his eye.

"I-" Sora ran a hand through his hair, "I don't know what to do. I don't know where we are. I don't know what to do."

The tears spilled over.

"I- Oh God, I guess I can give it a try, but- Well, it'll probably really hurt." He raised the keyblade.

The boy nodded, gritting his teeth in anticipation. He didn't question what the giant key was for, or how on earth a child younger than him could do anything but run for help.

Sora focused on the trap, concentrating, this would be totally worthless if he took of the other's leg too. He cast fiagra, very, very, carefully. A thin tongue of white hot flame hit the cool metal. Sora ignored the sounds of shocked pain coming from his companion, focusing on the next spell. Ice crystals appeared on the super heated trap, melting instantly. The metal cracked and fell away while the one eyed boy howled with pain.

~~~~~~

While Sora and Riku were preparing to spend the night out in the creepy forest Kairi was lounging on her living room couch watching television. Her mother sat in the recliner cutting out coupons for the Saturday fish market. Her father was still at work.

"Did you have a good time with your friends, dear?" Her mother's voice from the other side of the scissors, a bit more distant than usual.

"Yeah. Selphie's mom made us cake."

"Hm." There was an awkward pause, "What kind of cake?"

"Pink."

"Ah," her mother's eyes grew distant for a moment, remembering when her little girl really was little. "I bet the boys loved that."

"They must have, they ate most of it." She turned slightly to smile at her mother. "Love you, Mom."

The older woman matched the expression, eyes softening, distance closing. "I love you, too, sweetheart."

They settled back and watched TV.

~~~~~~

There aren't many things stupid enough to think they can eat a behemoth. Even a small, tired behemoth is a lot more than the typical forest critter can manage, so most of them avoided Riku's camp and the ones that did go to investigate stayed well away from the firelight.

Riku himself was already asleep, leaning against the young behemoth's side, his head on its foreleg. He kept a firm grip on the keyblade, nonetheless.

His clone wasn't nearly as relaxed. Remington sat by the fire, staring into the forest. He could hear Anti Sora rustling around somewhere nearby and it was beginning to annoy him. The other heartless had refused to do anything, tramping off into the woods for three hours before finally returning to sulk just outside of the firelight.

Remington did his best to ignore the continued crunching, which echoed quite nicely between the trees. Every monster and its mother had to know where they were. It was only a matter of time until one of them grew bold enough to attack.

The shadow sat by Riku's side, antenna poking up from the ground, shifting a little at every cracking twig and crunching leaf. It jumped at the dull thud of a shadowy keyblade lodging itself into an ancient tree trunk. Trembling as the wind picked up into an angry howl.

Remington stood. This had gone on long enough. A sword, a dark replica of Riku's curved scimitar, materialized in his hand and he walked out into the darkness.

Personally, Anti Sora felt he was being remarkably restrained. What he wanted to do was cut off Remington's head and stick it in a blender, then beat his 'master' half to death with a big stick, potion him back to health, and set him on fire. He considered attacking trees and stomping around a mature and reasonable substitute for manslaughter. Remington, the little suck up, obviously disagreed. He stood in front of the dark Sora clone, arms crossed over his chest, wearing an expression of cultivated disapproval.

Anti Sora glared at him before sneering and purposefully slamming the cloned keyblade into the dry flesh of an old oak.

The disapproval grew.

Anti Sora turned his back, sticking his nose in the air. There was a gentle pressure on his arm and then he was being pulled backward and forced to the ground. Remington ripped his keyblade from the tree and held it up like a scepter before casting some sort of light spell that Anti Sora didn't recognize. A dozen sharp toothed faces were illuminated, angry and snarling. Most leapt back as the light hit their eyes, stumbling and yelping. A few held their ground, growling deep in their throats.

Remington ignored them, choosing instead to trail his fingers over the wounded oak. He crouched next to Anti Sora, holding his hand an inch from the other's face. It was wet with blood.

They stared into each other's eyes for a moment. Then Remington stood, pulling Anti Sora with him, and hauled the other back to camp.

~~~~~~

It was exactly what Mary had not been looking forward to.

"What do you mean 'he ran off'?"

"Just that. He ran off, right out of town. He was really fast!"

Amelia sat on Lance's lap, eyes wide and frightened. The other children sat in their own chairs, eyes locked on their sister.

"I'm sorry, Mama." Mary stared at her feet, defeated.

"I should hope so. And what do you have to say for yourself, Taylor? That boy's not from here, he doesn't know half the danger out there." Mrs. Lawrence rounded on her young guest. She had known his parents since grade school and was more than comfortable lecturing him.

Taylor looked down as well, suppressing the urge to shrug or say something flippant. An 'oh, really' would not go over well. "He's a tough kid, he'll be all right."

"You don't know that! All you know is that he's alone in the woods! You have no idea if he's safe."

"I'll go look for him, Mom." Lance's voice was soft but dramatically audible and Amelia looked up at him with hope in her eyes.

Mrs. Lawrence hesitated. "No. No." She shook her head, night had already fallen and town was miles away, it would be gone midnight before a search could really start. She wouldn't have her son out in that, not when chances of finding the boy were so slim. "We'll all go looking tomorrow; I want all of you up by four." The sun rose at five thirty, they would have time to do the essential chores and eat before they set out. "Larue,"

The middle boy perked up.

"Go get fresh sheets for Taylor."

"Oh, that's all right. I'm not staying."

~~~~~~

Rufus Shinra was playing golf.

"Oh my God, look out!"

A version of it anyway.

He stood on one side of his 67th floor office, club in hand, swinging at brightly colored golf balls that, upon flying out of the open picture window, were transformed into lethal weapons. The shouts of the people below carried up from the narrow streets, echoing nicely in the cold air. The blonde smiled, expression content.

Rufus liked dangerous things. It was why he kept so many guns, though he had more than enough bodyguards, why he drove a white sports car with turbo engines down the congested midgar streets, though he rarely got the chance to speed, and why he usually had Tseng stand just inside his office door like a sentry, though the man would be more useful elsewhere.

Rufus dropped another ball onto the floor, this one neon yellow, a happy face on one side, his own expression growing slightly sour.

Tseng. Unfortunately for him, the leader of the Turks wasn't merely dangerous, he was reasonable. He never took things too far, never made rash or foolish decisions, never raged. He also had the uncanny ability to project his opinions across an entire floor, possibly farther, without acting sullen or argumentative. Everyone knew when Tseng disagreed with something, though after politely voicing his beliefs he never said another word on the matter unless specifically asked. He was always right.

It drove Rufus crazy. The blonde was not particularly reasonable. Oh, he could act cold and unfeeling, professionally detached, he was a superb actor, but inside he boiled, inside he plotted how to get what he desired, no matter how foolish it might be. But somehow Tseng always knew when he was plotting something, and more often than not the Turk would present a polite but irrefutable argument against Rufus's plans.

Tseng disapproved of office golf. 

Luckily, Tseng wasn't there.

Rufus lined up his shot and let fly.

~~~~~~

Incidentally at that very moment Tseng was also flying. And in a frightfully similar manner to the little yellow golf ball. The leader of the Turks sat strapped into the pilot's seat of Shinra World's one and only gummi ship. He was alone in the cockpit, having sent Elena and Reno into the back after spending two hours listening to them bicker. Rude had gone with them, presumably to break up any physical fights before they became too bloody. He closed his eyes briefly, hands still tense and ready on the controls. There had been a massive number of hostile ships zooming around, firing at anything not in their formation.

The Turks had been deployed to find and capture the boy who had done such tremendous damage to a 40 floor concrete and steel skyscraper. The money it would take to repair the building had put young President Shinra into a very bad mood. A normal company wouldn't have too much trouble, insurance covering the cost of most repairs. Unfortunately, Shinra wasn't a normal company; it was the world, as well as the singular insurance provider (and the police department and the airport). Rufus wanted retribution, he wanted Riku to be drug back for use as a superweapon, killed, or given a very large bill.

Personally, Tseng thought the entire space venture was a bad idea. The likelihood that they would find their target in a timely manner was extremely low, as was the probability that any good would actually come of finding him. Obviously Rufus had repressed the similar trouble they had experienced with Sephiroth once upon a time.

It also left Shinra World without a strong and versatile attack force. SOLDIER, while quite capable, was like a massive bomb, indiscriminately destructive. The Turks were more like a well placed pen knife, good for all occasions. However, when Tseng had quietly expressed these thoughts to his employer the blonde had twitched, smiled tightly, and ordered him to accompany his team; to provide them "focus" for the mission.

Tseng had gone to make the necessary preparations.

~~~~~~

"Avery Wolcott, pleasure to meet you." The one eyed boy dipped his head and smiled. It was an odd expression on him, making his face look slightly crooked.

"Sora." The keybearer smiled tiredly back, not really noticing the other's facial distortions. The two were walking through the woods together; that is to say, Sora was walking, Avery was performing an odd little hop-skip that might have something to do with his recently curagra-ed ankle but was just as likely a symptom of his personality.

"Have you been in the country long?" It was a broad smile, more of a grin really, with extra teeth. Still, they were cheerful teeth, which somehow made them both better and worse at the same time.

Sora shrugged, grimacing. He was really going to have to get better at this infiltration stuff; everyone seemed to know instantly that he was a foreigner. He would have to learn the illusion spells Donald had used to disguise them. Sora's eyes slipped shut briefly, thinking about the duck making him droop even more.

"Only you don't seem to know very much at all. You were off the path at night, and while it was quite good for me, it was incredibly foolish of you. I'm very grateful." Avery was walking backwards now, facing Sora, face madly animated.

Another shrug. He was feeling past drained. Sora had realized, rather painfully, that the white haired boy seen in town was probably his current companion, which put him back at square one as far as finding Riku. He felt tired and hopeless and the continued jovial temperament of his fellow wasn't helping. Not even the growing scent of cookies revived his spirit.

Sensing his savior's poor mood, Avery fell silent. 

~~~~~~

"We must be insane."

"Most likely."

Mary swung a scratched crowbar nervously at her side, knuckles white against the black metal. The moon reflected blue off the grass and leaves on either side of the road. Next to her was Taylor, smoking a cigarette as they walked.

Lance was also out, though Mary had no idea where. He had left long before she had dared to slip out of her bedroom window, only to find Taylor leaning casually against the woodpile holding the crowbar and a stout stick, as if he was waiting for her.

"Then why are you here helping me? I thought that you thought that Sora could take care of himself." 

"I do." He took a long drag before blowing smoke into the cool air. "You, however, are a different matter entirely."

"You don't think I can take care of myself?!"

"Nope."

Mary started at the ground, mouth a thin white line, contemplating being alone out in the freezing night. "...Thank God."

"You're welcome, dear."

~~~~~~

Riku sat up in the darkness. He felt off, disconnected from himself, as if he were in a thousand different bodies at once with only the most tenuous tie to his own. Closing his eyes made it worse, so he left them open and watched the world spin as his brain struggled to right itself.

The behemoth slumbered next to him and there was a warm spot on its foreleg where his head had rested. On the other side of the shrinking fire Anti Sora and Remington were silently fighting. It was quite remarkable, considering that Remington was quite asleep. Anti Sora kept glaring at the other, then staring at his feet.

Riku rubbed his eyes and sighed, somehow watching them made him feel oddly disheartened.

The shadow sat next to him, gold eyes glowing in the darkness. It was hugging itself, thin spidery arms wrapped around its body, its antenna curled around each other. It managed to huddle at Riku's side without actually touching him.

"What's wrong?" His voice was husky with sleep.

'The others are watching,' its antenna tightened and pressed against its head.

"What others?" No longer muzzy, but sharp and soft.

'Us,' A flash of the heartless, filled with mingled sadness and hate, 'and the forest... and the mountains.' a mental shiver, it scooted a fraction of an inch closer, but still did not touch. 'They watch,' its yellow eyes brightened for a moment, underlining its point.

"Why? What do they want? Everywhere I go they follow me. That dragon. This behemoth. They never stop following me. Why? If it was for the keyblade they would have attacked already." His voice was a fierce, stressed whisper.

The shadow's surprise flared in his mind '...because you made them, master.'

"No." he almost smiled. Not a nice smile, and not a sane smile. "No, the only ones I ever, ever made were the clones." He glanced over at Anti Sora and Remington, resting in relative comfort on the other side of the crackling fire.

'You made all of us master.' The shadow cocked its head, holding its twined antenna in clawed hands.

"No!" with force and feeling, not volume. "Ansem made you. Ansem. Not me." He shook his head, silver white hair reflecting blue in the moonlight.

The shadow cringed back, hunching over. 'Only master.' It felt afraid and confused, 'only ever master.'

"How can you think I'm him?!" His eyes widened with pained exasperation, "We don't even look alike. He's older than me, not to mention black."

The shadow hunched down, its golden globe eyes looking imploringly up at him. 'Looks change. But... you smell the same, sound the same, feel the same... You, your master!'

Riku pulled back. The shadow had never expressed a thought so violently before, with so much force, or desperation. "I don't want to be the same." A breathless, desperate snarl. He shivered, eyes burning. "I don't want to be the same."

A million different bodies shivered with him.

~~~~~~ 

It wanted to take off its coat but it couldn't find the buttons. They had been lost somewhere. It was glued inside the sweltering skin, unable to pull free. Sweating through its feet and its mouth and its eyes. Its steps were awkward and drunk, listing to one side, then the other. It fell against trees, bouncing back and forth like a pinball. Its sides heaved from running. It had run for hours, trying to work off the heat, but the burning never lessened, only grew like some blood sucking worm deep inside.

It wanted to tear free of its skin and run naked on the turf while the soft, dewy, green grass cooled its feet. It wanted to drown in a lake and lick the cool sand at the bottom. It wanted the hot fire worm to rip free and die in the dawn air.

It wanted so very many things.

The heat wanted revenge. The heat wanted death. The heat wanted other's blood to run. The heat wanted to cut, slice, tear. Rip, rend, bleed, bite, break, crush, crack, maul, mangle, hack, spear, slit, split, snap ...

So very many things.

~~~~~~

"What is that smell?" Mary inhaled deeply, expression perplexed.

"The cookie house, probably." 

She stopped, eyes growing wide, iris swimming in white, "The cookie house? She's baking tonight?"

"Apparently."

"Oh, no. Oh, no. I didn't tell Sora about her! We have to hurry!" walking again, but at a much faster pace.

Taylor followed behind. His steps were still calm, but the muscles across his shoulders had tensed and his eyes were hard.

~~~~~~

"Friends don't keep secrets, Sora, and secrets don't keep friends." A drawl in the dark, close to his ear.

Sora's head snapped up. He frowned, shooting a look at his traveling companion, "What d'you mean secrets?"

Avery's expression was flatly annoyed, "Weeell, you aren't from around here, and when I tried to, ah, more subtly suggest that you tell me from whence ye came, you clammed up." His manic grin was lopsided, and his dirty white hair cast jagged shadows across his face.

Sora was tired. Too tired to deal with the hyper boy and his bright eye and his sensitive questions. He just wanted to curl up and sleep for a few years. "I can't tell you, okay? I just can't." He hesitated a moment, courtesy battling petulance, "Sorry."

"Well." There was an offended pause, then: "Hey, Sora? You hungry?"

The brunette looked up, again, eyes half closed and teeth locked in a smile that wasn't particularly nice. "Why? Do you have a hamburger restaurant in you pocket or something?"

"Noooo." The eye rolled upward, in some bizarre expression of amusement. "But I know where there's food. Not burgers, of course. But cookies and candy." Another broad, superior smile. "You can smell it, but I can find it." He leaned in close, skin dappled and ghostly pale in the moonlight.

Sora perked up, eyes round with wild hope. "Food?"

"Food!"

"Well, lead away then!"

~~~~~~

Lance was not having a good night, but for once, he didn't really notice. He had a purpose, and that purpose overrode discomfort, misery, complaints. The water he sloughed through was most definitely cold, but he didn't shiver; the cries of wild animals were all around him, but he didn't jump or cower.

Like the others out that night he had noticed the scent of sugary flour in the air. It made him walk faster. It made him take risks. A part of his mind observed all of this and began to wonder if all that time spent with sawdust and woodchips was affecting his brain.

Lance left the road at ten-fifty-seven P.M. and was still off it three hours later. He guessed he was somewhere past the town, it was small and easy to miss, but wasn't sure how far.

So he followed his gut instincts and prayed for a miracle. Prayed that somehow the magic that had healed him, saved him from death, would call to him. Prayed that he would find Sora before the brown haired boy knocked on the wrong door and ended up worse than dead.

There was the hiss of monsters around him. He could see them, darker than the darkness. They were angry, but their fury wasn't directed at him. They were focused on low burning fire, staring at it intently, their hate in their eyes.

A few of the small black ones turned, looking him over, golden eyes considering, but they made no move toward him. He pushed past, shielding his eyes as he strode into the circle of firelight.

Lance hadn't found Sora, wasn't called to him by some mystical force, but he did get a miracle.

On the other side of the smoldering flames Riku stood up, silver keyblade in hand, and stared.

~~~~~~

At home, safe in her bed, Kairi was dreaming of a movie theatre full of flying cows that turned to look at her with startled, scandalized expressions when she walked into the large, dark room. A Tropicana orange juice commercial was playing on the big screen, two children singing in high pitched voices about the wonder of 3% juice and palm trees.

Kairi sat and struggled to be inconspicuous, the cows couldn't fit into regular theatre seats, so instead there were a series of bench like steps leading down. They were covered in the typical red, gold trimmed carpet of all movie theatres but were uncharacteristically clean.

The cow next to her ruffled its large wings, looking at her over its nose, before offering its box of popcorn.

"Thank you." Munching a handful of buttery goodness, Kairi settled back to enjoy the movie. Or at least the orange juice ads.

~~~~~~

"Who are you?" The tone of voice was normal, for Riku at least, a mix of curiosity, veiled surprise, and gentle arrogance. He had never been able to shake the last bit, it was always there, hanging onto his words, twisted easily into a friendly jibe or a condescending brush off.

Lance stared openly, taking in the scene before him, hideous monsters arranged around a fifteen year old boy with soot on his face and mud on his clothes.

"Who are you?" and ice had replaced the surprise.

Remembering a story told around the breakfast table over pancakes and homemade butter. A story of ducks and dogs and white haired boys with giant's keys. "Are you Sora's friend?"

"Who. Are. You?" Suspicion stood in for curiosity and arrogance hardened behind frozen aqua eyes.

"My name is Lance." calm and measured and only a touch annoyed, "and if you're his friend then you had better help me because he's out there somewhere and so are the monsters. He was looking for you." No accusation, but guilty pain flashed across Riku's face nonetheless.

"Tell me."

~~~~~~

It wasn't sure where it was anymore. Wandering aimlessly, staggering onward at an awkward run through the aging night. It saw shapes, but didn't recognize them. It didn't need to, none of them were important. Rectangles and ovals and cherry red buttons passing on either side.

The ground melted beneath its burning feet, turning soft and sticky. It trotted drunkenly on, leaving fur and blood behind, stuck to the landscape. It ran straight into the barrier, took half a step back before plowing doggedly onward, forcing its way through.

Its feet ghosted over softness, following the sounds of frightened breathing.

She looked like an outline of heat, burning red in the darkness, flares of bright orange jumping from her to the ground.

It killed her, then collapsed to the floor, sides heaving.

The heat was waiting, it knew that there was more to come.

The other didn't care, it didn't care about anything anymore.

~~~~~~

"There!" Avery pointed ahead, expression smug.

Sora stared, mouth dropping open. They were standing before a small cottage, complete with thatched roof and a little path.

A strawberry straw thatch, and a rock candy path, that is. The little lane was lined with gingerbread men leading up to a licorice porch. The bushes were shaped like small animals and grew gumdrops, the windows were made of more rock candy, the house itself was primarily gingerbread held together with caramel and frosting.

Sora felt rather uneasy about it all. He stood uncertainly at the end of the lane, torn between greedy hunger and common sense. Remembering his mother's yearly warnings about improperly packaged food.

Avery had none of his companion's misgivings. He bounced cheerfully down the path, breaking of the arm of a gingerbread girl as he went.

Sora winced. "Won't, ah, someone be ticked if we eat their house?"

Avery waved a hand dismissively, talking around a mouthful of crumbs, "Nah, wolves and squirrels and stuff gnaw on this place all the time. The owner," He snickered into his hand, "is pretty used to it."

The keybearer walked uncomfortably down the candy lane. It clung to the soles of his shoes, making squelchy, sticky noises whenever he lifted his feet. It made him feel slightly ill, but not ill enough to stop him from pulling free a giant red gumdrop and taking a cautious bite.

He chewed thoughtfully, expression considering. He looked up at Avery, locking eyes with the other boy, before grinning broadly and stuffing the rest of the candy into his mouth.

It tasted wonderful.

~~~~~~

It was gone midnight, incredibly cold and terribly dark.

Riku had gotten them all up and moving within five minutes of Lance's arrival. Anti Sora could still feel his master's controlled panic rubbing painfully across his mind.

The little local boy had given them all the short-short version of events before making to leave. He had claimed that two groups would have a better chance of finding their errant keybearer, though Anti Sora suspected the woodcutter just didn't want to spend more time than absolutely necessary with Riku. He approved of the boy's judgment, having much the same feeling himself.

Unfortunately, Lance hadn't been able to come up with a reason to keep Anti Sora and Remington from going with him. Riku had just half smiled, claiming that the other could hardly be a group by himself and ordered the clones to accompany him. It was clear that they would be going with him whether he agreed to it or not.

Anti Sora checked his imaginary watch. By his estimate they had been walking aimlessly for almost an hour in the incredible cold and terrible dark. And the only things they had managed to stumble across were rocks. It was fifty minutes of his life wasted with only the perfect little bastard for company; Lancelot didn't count. The other clone was walking purposefully in front, carefully moving the greenery out of the way. The two hadn't communicated, even with glares, since the tree incident.

He was such an arrogant little shadow spawn, so sure of the way the forest worked, when he had only been 'born' that morning. Acting like he knew more than his predecessor, trying to rescue worthless behemoths and listening to all of Riku's orders as if the teenager were God. He was such a perfect. little. bastard.

Golden eyes narrowed.

For Anti Sora seething was an art form. He could be vilely angry, intensely furious, terribly agitated; he could even manage definition 2b. churning as if boiling. But this was an entirely different type of seethe. This was the suffering violent internal excitement seethe. For most people that meant anger or frustration. For Anti Sora it meant love.

Remi didn't stand a chance.

~~~~~~

While Anti Sora cultivated a violently obsessive affection for his fellow clone, Riku was learning just how fast a man could travel with a tired baby heartless and a nervous shadow.

The behemoth kept lowling miserably and bumping into its master, Riku's shoulder was very quickly turning unflattering shades of black and blue. The shadow wasn't much better, it would stop randomly, refusing to move forward or back and just stare into the darkness. Riku would have made a light, but all his power was focused on tracking down the other keyblade, he could feel it in his mind, oddly insubstantial but still glowing brightly. It was somewhere close, that he could tell, he could see it much too clearly for it to be far off, but at the same time he couldn't reach it, couldn't pin its location down.

The behemoth was upset, he could feel its fear, pressing against him, distracting his attention from the burning golden keyblade. It didn't know where they were, it didn't know what they were looking for, it didn't know what was wrong with master, it thought he must be wrong/sick/hungry/tired/weak. It bumped into him again, and its thoughts came into focus, sharp relief that it was not alone, that Riku was still there, that he had not disappeared.

He was stabbed by a sudden coldness, eyes he hadn't closed snapped open, the keyblade vanished from his mind, along with the second consciousness, leaving him reeling in a body the wrong shape. He had too few legs and his eyesight was too sharp, he was cold and fragile and not half as strong as he should be.

He looked down, mouth slightly open, trying to readjust.

The shadow was looking up at him. And holding gently onto his hand.

Riku shivered and strode forward, focused on the lost keyblade once more.

~~~~~~

Larue, Lance's younger brother and Mary's elder brother, was sitting at the kitchen table with his remaining siblings. He told them ghost stories and hero stories, stories of princesses and stories of beggars, cat stories, dog stories, duck stories.

Luthe, the youngest of all, sat on the floor under the solid oak table, blue eyes intense. Amelia, her golden hair in a braid, leaned against her older brother's leg, fisting her hands in his nightshirt. Both listened intently, straining to hear each softly spoken word.

Their mother slept restlessly down the hall, tossing and turning and muttering. She didn't know they were there, and they didn't want her to. It was two o'clock in the morning, dawn seemed as far off as nightfall had been, and the silence in the kitchen left them alone, separated from the rest of the world.

The last time it had been like this their father hadn't come home. Their mother had slept then too, though only after hours of nervous crying. Her six children had huddled secretly then, in the kitchen by the cold stove, half of them crouched under the table, listening to their sister tell stories. Red had been seventeen, not due to meet her husband for another two years, and she told the old stories that she had learned from their grandmother. Tales of wicked witches and evil kings. But they were a touch different, for the first time any of them could remember there were only happy endings. For the first time any of them could remember no one died. Even Luthe, then only fourteen months old, had hazy memories of a beautiful voice speaking quietly of giants and frogs and talking cats. He couldn't remember his father's face, but he remembered that night.

Larue was a much better story teller than his sister had been. His tales were more dynamic, more mysterious and magical. Everything was more elaborate, close calls became even closer, but one thing remained the same. In his stories no one, not even the evil king, died.

His sibling pressed closer, intent on happily ever after.

~~~~~~

Sora had been breaking off a bit of the roof when the candy window shattered, exploding outwards. He was half blinded by the flying sugar and fell backwards on to chocolate ground and plastic Easter grass.

After that everything happened too fast.

Avery shot upright from his place by the gumdrops and started for a fourth of a second before leaping to his feet and sprinting back towards the woods. He didn't waste time shouting or screaming or whining, he didn't look back, or hesitate with concerns for his friend.

And just like that Sora was alone.

Well, not alone exactly.

The dark wolf stood in the ruins of the colored window, the sharp sugary edges cutting into its feet. It was a mess of blood and fur, still reeking of fire. Its eyes were wide, milky white and staring, its mouth hung open, tongue hanging out, raw and swollen.

It attacked instantly, ignoring the fleeing Avery. All of its being, all that was left, was focused completely on Sora. There was no precision, no art, power or beauty, just a desperate bleeding lunge of teeth and paws and torn muscles.

Sora was half way to his feet and half way through a spell when its bulk hit him, knocking him back down.

Its teeth closed on his upper arm, sliding easily through cloth, flesh, muscle, bone that cracked apart, breaking into fragments and falling loose into the flesh, puncturing it like glass shards.

Sora's scream was devoured by white eyes and leering teeth and hot rank burning breath, a testament to the rot inside the creature's body, the cancer that powered its heartless corpse.

It wasn't supposed to be like this.

It was never supposed to be like this.

The dark wolf howled between clenched teeth, its head shaking back and forth in a voluntary seizure, ripping away muscle, blood saturating its furless muzzle.

Sora struggled, stabbing upward with the keyblade, tears sharpening his vision. A dozen jabs with nothing to show for it except thick black blood and then somehow someway Sora got it in the neck, and the fur there parted, splitting open to show pulsing veins and it fell off him, rolling over, his flesh in its gaping mouth.

The creature that had been the dark wolf only yesterday shrieked with breathless laughter and circled, it moved like a drunk, occasionally missing a step, falling forward.

The dark wolf had never been kind, but it had never been mad either. It had been focused on killing and eating and moving on, but the burning insanity that filled it now wanted torture, it wanted to hear screams, smell terror and pain and desperation, see the heat in the other's body rise and pour from a million wounds. It wanted to eat its victims alive.

It had just enough intelligence left to aim for the spine, to break the fragile vertebra low so that its prey wouldn't flee... or die.

Sora was on his knees, each breath a heaving gasp, his uninjured arm was braced against the ground, holding him up. He was trembling, eyes glazing over with shock. His arm hung oddly but he didn't notice, didn't feel the pain, didn't feel fear, didn't really feel much of anything. He didn't even wonder why his life wasn't flashing before his eyes.

"Are you giving up already?"

~~~~~~

Kairi rolled over and woke up. She rubbed a hand across her eyes, yawning, it was still dark out but she was too thirsty to go back to sleep. She staggered out of bed and trudged down the hallway to the kitchen. She poured herself a glass of orange juice, drinking it all and rinsing the glass before going back to bed.

Ten minutes later she was up again, blanket trailing behind her, stuffed alligator stuffed under one arm. She settled on the couch, turned on the TV and cuddled down into her blanket.

She spent the rest of the night watching 'I Love Lucy' reruns, not falling asleep again until the sky lightened into pink over the ocean.


	8. Choose Your Own Adventure

AN: I know, its been forever, but the story will not die. Thats really all I can think of to say. 

Disclaimer: Not mine, and aren't we all glad for that?.

Through These Eyes 

Chapter Eight

Choose Your Own Adventure

"As I've wandered through this world,  
As each moment has unfurled,  
I've been waiting to awaken from these dreams."

-Doctor My Eyes, Jackson Brown

Kairi rolled over and woke up. She rubbed a hand across her eyes, yawning, it was still dark out but she was too thirsty to go back to sleep. She staggered out of bed and trudged down the hallway to the kitchen. She poured herself a glass of orange juice, drinking it all and rinsing the glass before going back to bed.

Ten minutes later she was up again, blanket trailing behind her, stuffed alligator stuffed under one arm. She settled on the couch, turned on the tv and cuddled down into her blanket.

She spent the rest of the night watching 'I Love Lucy' reruns, not falling asleep again until the sky lightened into pink over the ocean.

* * *

When he heard the voice the small part of him that was still intact, still receiving oxygenated blood, thought that he must be dreaming.

Still, he turned his head, dilated eyes seeking out the speaker.

Riku was moving, fighting with elegant fury. The dark wolf had been taken by surprise and it was much too far gone to create a new strategy. It attacked wildly, without thought, all snapping jaws and ripping claws.

In many ways the fighters matched each other. Both powerful and aggressive, both deathly calm yet in violent motion. Riku was methodical and calculating, as the dark wolf once had been. The dark wolf was spontaneous and unbalanced, a decay of the mind that Riku hadn't experienced yet, but was possible for him in a way that it would never be for Sora or Kairi.

In time methodical would defeat spontaneity, barring any great mistake on Riku's part, but Sora was bleeding to death in a very immediate way, glassy glazed eyes shining feverishly in the moonlight, which made it a timed battle.

Luckily, magic could sway the balance. Light exploded from the keyblade, blinding in its intensity, the dark wolf stumbled, briefly sightless. If it had still been sane it could have fallen back on its hearing, focused in on the crackle of its opponents boots on the ground, tracking him as well as it could with its eyes. As it was it lunged blindly before blundering around in a messy circle, snapping at the air.

Riku struck it hard along the shoulder, taking a light graze along his forearm in return. He spun to the side as the wolf rushed at where he had been. It followed him, the breeze made by his movement stinging along its hairless muzzle and sightless eyes. Teeth scratched against his arm, driving the light metal into his skin in six sharp punctures.

Riku hissed sharply, a word exhaled in pain, and blue black smoke twisted around the dark wolf, tearing and twisting its already grotesque form. It screamed and fell away, eyes wide with furious terror. Blood gushed from wounds, old and new, half healed skin split open and spilled red down sides and flank, painting the ground. The dark wolf twisted and turned, struggling to pull away from the distorting smoke that brought back so many old pains. It slashed desperately at Riku, the blue haze trailing behind it. It struck at his side, teeth scraping against armor. The part of it that could remember armor, the part of it that would have gone for the face, the hands, the throat, was shrieking madly, incapable of thought.

The dark wolf was old. In its life it had known both woodcutters and princes, maidens and washerwomen, dragons and unicorns. It knew the way the worlds worked. It had lived a million years in a thousand different lands. And only once had an axe marked it. Back when it could be called young it had faced a woodcutter. It hadn't realized the power of weapons then, and certainly hadn't known that an axe was special. It had been cut, deeply, through the shoulder. Bone had split beneath the weight of the swing, sending the dark wolf snarling and wide eyed back into the forest and its den. It was months before it recovered, years before it challenged another axeman. That time it claimed his weapon first, splitting the wood in the strength of it jaws, before attacking, pulling the heavy man down and tearing into his throat, the blood looking just like any other blood. And then the dark wolf was no longer afraid of men.

Its shoulder began to bleed.

Riku shoved it away from him, pulling back and to the side, prepared to dodge another lunge. His armor wasn't impenetrable, and he didn't want to take more risk than necessary.

The dribble became a flow.

The dark wolf followed, vision cleared, raking its fangs through the air, catching them on the side of the keyblade. The impact was of sword against sword, numbing Riku's arm and slowing his motion.

The flow became a torrent.

Blood made the candy path slick and sticky. Paws and boots slid on its surface, dancing into a new position every second. Falling back and pushing forward, slipping left and stepping right. Muscle tore and the dark wolf began to limp, front leg unable to support its weight.

Bone split beneath the twisting pressure of blue black smoke and the dark wolf screamed.

Riku turned away as it fell to its knees, rough howl replaced by desperate gasping breaths. It was dead by the time the silver haired teen had reached his best friend's side.

* * *

The behemoth was terrified. It was alone in the woods, bellowing desperately, searching for some sign of its master. The boy had disappeared, slipping between trees that all looked the same and vanishing from sight. A few minutes later the shadow had left as well, racing away in the leaf strewn ground, antenna curled tightly.

The behemoth turned around in a circle, flattening the brush even more, the ground beneath it's feet was churned up and scraped deep. Like most of the heartless it didn't like being alone, it craved companionship with all of its being. It hated the dark forest with all the big trees that muffled sound and made it feel even more alone, even more splintered and separated. It hated the huge ancient trees that kept it fenced in, unable to know them down of fit between them. It hated the dark green trees that whispered softly horrible things, deafening it to all other sounds. Some part of it was deeply afraid that is master would call and it wouldn't be able to hear. That it would be lost alone in the dark old forest until it faded away to nothing.

It lowled sadly, sinking down to lay the dead leaves, and waited for morning. As much as it hated the forest it wouldn't leave, it wouldn't go anywhere until its master returned.

It would wait right there until he came back, or called. It knew that Riku wouldn't just abandon it, it knew in its bones.

* * *

The shadow was shaking violently by the time it reached the other search party. It crashed up through the brush at Lance's feet, gesturing wildly with hands and antenna. The woodcutter stared down at it blankly, too weary and overwhelmed to be moved to much emotion. Lance's brows knitted as he struggled to understand the message conveyed in the frenzied motions. It was obvious that something was wrong, and that they needed to hurry, but the little shadow never offered any direction to hurry in.

Remington and Anti Sora, however, were enjoying a much more cinematic version of the shadow's story. They saw the little group walking through the forest, Riku in the lead. They saw him stumble and stare, then start moving hurriedly forward. They saw the behemoth startle after him, surprised by the sudden increase in pace. They saw when the beast stopped dead, staring ahead, before turning to the left, then right, and peering into the darkness there. They heard it bellow, calling for the boy that had suddenly, inexplicably, disappeared.

Anti Sora took a breath he didn't need and turned to stare, smugly expectant, at Remington. The Riku-shaped heartless was still, staring intently at the shadow, reading its gestures as well as his thoughts. He knew that, given enough time, Riku would summon them, after that going to him would be easy. But the shadow was afraid, terribly afraid, and Anti Sora, though he might not have noticed it himself, was shaking slightly. Remington hadn't been in existence long enough to build up much of a rapport with the bearer of the dark keyblade, master of the heartless. He couldn't find the boy without being called or searching systematically through the woods, and the shadow was too worked up to do very much at all.

Remington looked over at Anti Sora, catching his golden globe eyes. 'Find him.'

* * *

Compared to the rest of the travelers, Mary and Taylor were having a most boring journey. They had encountered all of one monster, which whimpered pathetically whenever Mary threatened it with the crowbar and slunk back to follow them at a greater distance. It looked like a small black fox with silver feelers, huge shiny black eyes, an extra set of legs and teeny tiny black wings. The most threatening thing it had done thus far was pounce out of the brush to rub against Taylor's leg.

They could still smell the sinisterly sweet baking, but it was all around them now, hanging in the air like a thick fog. Neither knew which way to go, so they pressed forward, down the east road and to the small town at its end.

Mary sighed and leaned against a darkened building. "At least we can start searching the woods at this end in the morning." Not even she was stupid enough to blunder around in them tonight, she was just too tired, she'd probably trip over something and smash her head against a rock. The end.

Taylor nodded, eyes half closed, staring out at the empty street.

They were much closer to the drama than they ever would have guessed.

* * *

Sora was dreaming.

He was lying down on black jagged grass, and the sky was dark as death. Snow, most stained a deep red, lay in patches on the ground. The clean bits were just this side of blue and freezing cold. The red parts steamed. There was no light.

Sora tried to sit up and found he couldn't. He was pinned to the ground, held there by a steady, though not oppressive, weight.

He head lolled back as he relaxed into the dream, a slight smile on his face. He felt-

Sudden terrible pain. Lances of painful light scored his dream world, leaving ugly glaring rents in the landscape. The gentle weight turned into a crushing vice around his chest, making him gasp and writhe. Small darts of light wriggled into cuts he didn't know he had, heating his blood, boiling it in his veins. He screamed.

Sora was dying.

He squeezed his eyes shut and found they were already closed.

* * *

Riku kneeled next to Sora's convulsing form, hands held steady over the boy's thin chest. Erratic beams of light jumped from his palms to Sora's body, glowing along the keybearer's veins. The brunette's wounds began to bleed again, sluggishly, before his skin rippled and tightened, drawing closed over the rents in his flesh.

Another seizure, punctuated by rough gasping breaths and an odd inhuman whine.

Riku's eyes were open, but not really seeing. Sweat shined on his skin, making him look sallow and sick. All his energy, all of his concentration, was focused on the task at hand.

He had never been very good at healing magic.

The brown haired boy gasped again, and his eyes snapped open. His arms still flailed, but the rest of his body relaxed, sliding limply against the ground.

* * *

Anti Sora growled silently, frustrated. He glared around the empty clearing, as if waiting for something to rise up out of the dead leaves.

In a way he was. He was sure this was the right place, Riku's magic was everywhere, along with the sweet enticing feel of both the dark and the light keyblades. They were right here. Except, of course, that they weren't. There was nothing, just a small round space bare of trees. No sign or smell of his master. Nothing but the thick feel of magic.

He kicked the leaves, sending them fluttering in the air, and turned the full strength of his glare onto Lance, who was standing silently a few feet away.

"You can't get in, can you?" Avery Wolcott smiled, rather nastily, from his place beside Lancelot. His hands were bound tightly with a sticky black rope fashioned out of shadows and spider webs. The heartless had an interesting magic.

They had run into him, quite literally, as they followed Anti Sora through the forest. The one eyed boy had plowed headlong into Lance, knocking them both to the ground. He had regained his feet a moment later, preparing to dash off again, when the woodcutter grabbed his arm, yanking him back down.

They had glared at each other, lying there on the muddy ground, before Avery slunk back on hands and knees and waited for the other to stand, allowing himself to be bound. He had noticed the hatchet.

It had gone quickly after that. Anti Sora leading them unerringly to the clearing, Avery hauled along with Lance on one side and Remington on the other.

"What do you mean?" The woodcutter's eyes were hard, it was too cold to be afraid.

The white haired boy's lip curled slightly, "Nothing, nothing..." He shook his head and glared balefully at Lance. "It is here." he allowed grudgingly, "you just don't know the way in."

"And you do?" All eyes turned toward them.

"'es."

"You could get us 'in'?" It sounded stupid and insane, there was nowhere to get in _to_.

"'es... But I don't think you'll much like what you find." He glared at the ground, angry and sullen, before apparently making a decision. "Follow me and I'll show you." His voice changed, growing mocking and light. "I hope you know what your doing, Mr. Woodcutter." He smirked and led them away from the clearing.

Anti Sora followed, mouth moving in silent mutters. He knew it was here.

* * *

Riku didn't say anything when Sora's eyes fell open, just smiled, a touch of bitterness in it.

For his part, Sora didn't even realize he was awake. He still felt the pain of living ghosting through his body, stronger in those places where the damage had been the worst. He was shaking slightly, so when he spoke his words broke, giving him an artificial stutter. "I-I missed you." He smiled sleepily, and his eyes slid shut again.

* * *

Avery stomped ahead of the little rescue party, weighing morals against survival instincts. He could waste some time before going to the gingerbread house, walk them in a few circles, no one would know but him. Or he could lead them there now, in a matter of minutes, and most likely right into the dark wolf's jaws.

He glanced over his shoulder, sizing up his captors. There was a chance he could break away, they could never find the witch's house without him and they would all be safe.

Well, except for Sora. But he didn't really have much of a chance anyway, it was a million to one that he was still breathing.

Avery started at his feet, gritted his teeth, and whipped around. "Its this way."

Lance's eyes hardened, "That's the way we came from."

"So it is."

The woodcutter tensed, about to object again, before shaking his head hopelessly and following, what else could he do?

Avery sighed, glancing up at the godless sky and praying this wasn't the biggest mistake he had ever made. One in a million.

He wouldn't wait for it to be one in a billion.

* * *

Leaves stirred as the behemoth kicked out and rolled onto its stomach. It had been half asleep, lonely and depressed when it heard the dark whisper of a familiar power. It shook its head slowly before heaving itself to its feet and stumbling east, snapping the smaller trees beneath its massive feet, its sides scraping past those too big to fell.

It didn't notice the shallow wounds or the uncomfortable coldness of the ground, it completely missed the scent of blood in the air. All it knew, all it cared about, was its master's call.

It was wanted.

* * *

Things came together at 2:57 that morning. The three groups spiraled into each other like waves rejoining the sea. Lance and his band of not so merry men trailed into the clearing only a second before the behemoth, directed by its renewed mental connection to its master, trampled onto the candy path.

Avery, who had been leading the caravan, started with wide eyed surprise at the sight of Riku and the dead dark wolf. His shock was so great that he numbly obeyed his captor's orders without even thinking of tetchy retorts.

Lance, tired, dirty, and suddenly completely out of adrenaline was also docile, barely blinking as he was led to sit on the behemoth's back, a bloody and unconscious Sora thrust into his arms.

In fact the only drama at all occurred in the first three seconds, when Lance, horrified by the site of Sora's too still form, had been about to throw caution, as well as all rational sense, to the wind and strangle Riku to death. Luckily, that was when the behemoth stumbled onto the scene, slipping on the still sticky path, and knocking the young woodcutter to the ground.

After that, everything was boringly calm.

* * *

Like the others, Riku was weak with a combination of exhaustion and relief. Unfortunately, he was still the only one the behemoth would follow, leaving him stuck on the ground while the rest of the rescue party sat in a moderately comfortable stupor on the beast's back. He pushed a trembling hand through dirty grey hair and started back into the forest. Within a minute they were completely immersed in trees again, the gingerbread house having vanished behind the greenery almost immediately.

It took another minute for Riku to realize that now he had absolutely no idea which way he should be going. He stared into the woods, breath escaping in a sigh that seemed half gasp. "Hey." He stopped, shaking his head and straightening shoulders. Forced his voice to be calm, cold, and level. "Which way to the nearest town?" He turned to stare at his companions, one eye brow raised in question.

Lance blinked once before snapping into wakefulness and replying, "Um, east. And a little south, I think."

"And which way would that be?" Riku gestured to the sea of trees surrounding them. An island boy, he was used to always having sun or stars to guide him, the complete oppressive blackness beneath the leafy canopy threw him.

"Um, I-I'm not sure." Lance closed his eyes, trying to focus past a growing headache. He reached behind him and tapped Avery, "Wolf, which was is east?"

The blue eyed boy pointed with hands still bound together, "Thataway." He leaned to the side, trying to get comfortable where he was wedged between Lance and Remington.

Riku nodded, and adjusted their course, thinking it was much too early in the morning to ask exactly when and why they had acquired a prisoner.


	9. Off to see the Wizard

AN: Wow, I got reviews on an old story, which made me think about KHs, which made me update. I know this entire non video game world has drug on waaaay too long, but soon our heros will be moving on! In the meantime, there is yet another annoying original character, sorry. I was forced to change the way I format, because MONSTEROUS EATS my old section breaks. So, anyway, I hope all the NEW ones I had to put in using the edit feature are actually, like, in the right places.

Disclaimer: All of the characters you recognize belong to Disney.

Through These Eyes 

Chapter Nine

"I don't want to wake you,  
But I'd like to tell you that I love you."

-Pinky, Elton John

"Would you stop feeding that thing?" Mary rolled her eyes as Taylor passed another piece of syrup sodden pancake to the small fox monster beneath the table.

They were enjoying an early breakfast at the inn, complete with coffee and milkshakes. Mary viewed it as a sort of last meal before her mother found her and grounded her to death, while Taylor just enjoyed the chance to be up and chatting at 3 in the morning.

"The food is excellent, don't you think?"

"Are you talking to me or the dog?"

"Either, or." He smiled at her, leaning his elbows on the table and taking a sip from her milkshake. "Mm, blueberry."

"Hey!" She shielded the tall glass with her hands, "Stop desecrating my food!"

Taylor smirked lazily, amused, before cocking his head to the side, listening. His eyes narrowed in concentration.

"Oh, great, what-" She cut off at the wave of her companions hand, and favored him with a glare rather than a lecture.

A moment more and an actual smile spread across his face, "Oh, this is going to be rich." He raised a hand, flagging down their waitress. "I'm terribly sorry to bother you, but we're going to need a larger table please, miss." He looked up at her, widening his eyes, still smiling gently.

"Oh, oh, sure, of course," the girl fluttered in place a moment before reaching to take their half full plates, "right this way."

"Go on," He pulled Mary from her seat, "I have to register some rooms."

"What? Why? We're not staying, Taylor."

"You'll see."

Ten minutes later Mary would see, but she heard even sooner.

* * *

Even at three thirty in the morning there were enough people awake to make a bit of a scene when the behemoth dragged in. Mary sat up at the first heavy stamping sounds, then raced to the window when she heard the a shout. A shop keep's scream came next, but by then Mary had rushed outside, squinting into the early morning darkness. "Oh my God..." She fell back a step before recovering her courage. She had never seen anything so huge; it was as big as a house, with tusks like a wild pig, and one giant horn sticking out of its head. A few more shaking steps and she could make out her older brother riding on the thing's massive back, looking tired but calm.

She stared, mouth opening slighting in complete shock, she would never make fun of him again.

Riku winced as the first sharp shriek rang out. He had a headache and the wailing of the townsfolk was certainly not helping. Even worse, the shouts scared the behemoth, making it hesitate and shift its feet. Riku dropped back and placed a hand on its leg, the last thing he needed was it dancing around, knocking everyone off its back, and trampling them to death. Though right now he wouldn't object to a few flattened villagers.

The behemoth calmed under his touch and walked slowly beside him. It must have caught wind of his thoughts, since it moved with exaggerated care, carefully placing each foot and smoothing its gait.

Riku pat its shoulder, "Good boy, just a little further," He glanced around them, reading signs, looking for somewhere they could stop. A medic's or an inn or even an empty hay barn.

"Well," A sharp voice cut through his thoughts and made his head throb. "Did you really have to bring the giant pig into town?"

Riku turned to glare at the speaker, a young girl with dark hair and a disapproving expression. "Yes." His voice was ice cold.

Lance didn't even bother to look up, let alone wonder what his little sister was doing all the way out there at that hour, "Mary, stop it."

"B-" She cut herself off, remembering her resolve of five seconds ago to leave her brother alone, and ground her teeth instead. "Can you at least let it go now? Breakfast is waiting, and not very patiently."

Riku ignored her, choosing instead to walk the behemoth a little father forward before waving to its passengers to dismount, he had seen the sign above the building, and an inn was just what they needed, annoying brat in the way or not.

Remington slid down first, before reaching back up to help Lance lower Sora. The woodcutter came after, tugging Avery behind him. Mary's eyes widened, and an expression like horror crossed her face, "Oh my God, what happened to him?" She reached out, pulling Sora from the Riku clone's grasp, holding him up with the strength of a girl who still had to move hay bales and muck out stalls. She turned to glare at Riku's back, eyes dark with accusation, "You're the guy he was looking for aren't you? What happened to him?"

Riku's features tightened, anger and hate and jealousy building up inside him. For some reason he despised this little girl, resented her for worrying about Sora maybe, or for holding him like he meant something to her. For so obviously being another of the brunette's many many friends, yet another competitor, another replacement. For underlining how very much he was not needed. His jaw clenched, and the heartless turned toward him, Anti Sora's eyes flaring with excitement, Remington's reflecting wary worry.

"Well, well!" A cheerful voice cut in, "don't we all look determinedly despondent?" Taylor smiled from the doorway before moving forward to place his hands on Mary's shoulders both steadying and holding her back, he knew better than to try and restrain Riku. "Lance? Take Sora please, we'll need to carry him upstairs. Room 3."

Lance nodded mutely, lifting the keybearer and walked into the building, careful not to bang the boy's head against the door frame. Orders were about all he could understand at this stage.

"Stay!" Riku commanded the behemoth harshly before following after the woodcutter, shoving past Mary and slipping through the door. "Hey!" Mary turned back, expression indignant.

"Don't," Taylor squeezed her shoulders gently, "just let him be." He looked over the girl's head at the heartless, "how about something to eat?"

* * *

Riku didn't join the others in the dining room, though Taylor came to invite him after Sora had been settled in. Instead he sat hunched in a chair next to the boy's bed staring pensively at his friend's pale face. The shadow sat in the floor next to him, also worried, but its golden eyes were focused on him. It thought he should eat, rest, make sure Anti Sora was behaving. After all, there was nothing he more he could do for Sora. All the boy's wounds had been healed, they had made sure, striping him out of his filthy clothes and sending them down to be washed. Now he wore one of Riku's extra shirts and a loose pair of shorts borrowed from the innkeep's son. It was just exhaustion or stress or some bizarre brain damage that was keeping him down now. 

Nonetheless, Riku couldn't bring himself to leave.

"Please, please, wake up."

* * *

Sora was dreaming. 

He was at home, lying in his bed, waiting for his mother to call him down for breakfast. There were figurines on his bedside table, a dog with a sheild and a helmet was facing off against a My Little Pony Sora didn't like anyone to know he owned. Overhead were airplanes and ships and posters pinned to his ceiling. The guitar he had gotten for his eleventh birthday lay on the foot of his bed, marbles rolling around inside of it, making soft thudding noises when he shifted his feet.

He could hear his mother's footsteps in the hallway, light and steady, coming to wake him. He hoped she had cooked french toast and omlets, he had a yen for bacon, cheese and sugar.

"Wake up." Sora rolled on his side, brows drawing together sleepily, that wasn't his mother's voice.

"Time to get up, Honey." It was much too squeaky.

Sora sat up as his door swung open, smiling bemusedly, wondering if she was sick. "Mom?"

"Yes, dear?" She stepped into his room, beady eyes bright black, long narrow beak fixed into a gaping, open-mouthed grin.

Sora screamed and scrambled backwards against the wall, staring at the hideous bird head affixed to the thing's face like a mask. Half congealed blood dripped from its neck as it turned the head, really smiling now, yellow flesh curling and cracking around the edges of the mouth, revealing a thick black tongue that pressed upwards, tracing nonexistant lips.

In the back of his mind he realized why he had recognized the footsteps, the creature had his mother's body, her green apron, her ugly pink sweat pants, even her dainty feet in their leather sandals.

Sora pressed back, gasping, frozen in fear. His keyblade was nowhere to be seen, like it didn't really exist.

"Whats wrong, sweetheart?" The thing walked closer, dripping gore as it went, one of his mother's beautifully manicured hands reaching behind it to gently swing the door shut. "Don't worry, mommy will make it better."

Sora pressed against the closed window and screamed.

* * *

"Sora? Sora!" Riku reached out to the restless form on the bed, heisitating a moment before shaking him gently. His skin was hot and sticky, the cold paleness of his face replaced with a pink flush. Riku realized with some disgust that he actually found it rather attractive. "God, Sora, wake up!" He a hand and slapping him sharply across the face. 

The boy's eyes snapped open, and he stared up, mouth moving soundlessly, obviously not quite awake. When he saw Riku leaning over him he jerked back, pressing himself down into the pillows, eyes terrified.

Riku pulled away, giving him space, doing his best to push down the hurt at the not so friendly reception. "Its just me." He swallowed back the sad disappointment that was struggling into his voice, "Dreaming about waves again?" Funny how he still remembered that, even after so long.

Sora shook his head, eyes still wary, but warming by degrees. "Riku?" His voice was plaintive, not quiet believing.

The white haired boy nodded, dropping a hand to drag his knuckles across Sora's cheek, an odd affectionate gesture, and absolutely nothing like him. "I see your still alive, I'm impressed."

Sora nodded, still not quite himself, unable to summon his usual daredevil grin.

"Feel up to going downstairs, grabbing something to eat? Eggs maybe?"

Sora stared for a moment, before leaning forward and throwing up all over the bed and his best friend's lap.

* * *

As it was, it was probably for the best that Sora decided to skip eating that morning. After a night of dealing with Mary, Taylor, and the Antis the inn staff wanted nothing more than for them to leave, or perhaps die, and might very well have engaged in typical passive-aggressive techniques, such as spitting in the food, to express their displeasure. 

Lance had headed off to bed almost immediately, tugging Avery along with him and tying him to the small stove in his room. For his part, Avery didn't bother to struggle, he was as tired as the rest of them and figured there would be ample time for escape in the morning. Besides, he wanted to know if Sora was all right and an inn floor was more comfort than he usually got.

Thus the others were left in the dubious care of Taylor the tailor, and not surprisingly, chaos ensued.

First off, he let Anti Sora order beer. Which was by far the biggest mistake of the day. Apparently the heartless were quite capable of eating and drinking, as well as becoming intoxicated, and in twenty minutes the Anti Sora was miming rude jokes and trying to hit on the waitress. Mary was fascinatedly disgusted by both the Sora clone and the beer. Occasionally stealing sips of the noxious drink from Taylor glass, as if it would taste better the fifth time she tried it. Eventually he began to guard his mug, apparently deciding that while she was old enough to try, she was not ready to experience true drunkenness firsthand.

Remington didn't drink.

Which, when he eventually noticed it, Anti Sora took as personal insult against him and his debaucherous ways. Then he apparently decided that the other clone was spending much too much time being polite to the waitress, grabbed him by his shadowy collar, and drug him outside.

Taylor and Mary didn't follow, instead choosing to right the table and play a game of cards. Mary spent the last hour before dawn learning how to bet and bluff. There was beer and toast ground into the carpet.

The fact that the behemoth had eaten more than half of the hay at the stables just added insult to injury.

* * *

In her own world, Kairi yawned and stretched, rolling onto her side. She felt sleepy and warm, but a vague feeling of unease crept through her, making her glance suspiciously out the window. Nope, no sign of heartless or serial killers or bums, everything was as it should be. Kairi snuggled back down into the couch, it was Sunday, she could get a little more sleep in before meeting Selphie and the boys.

* * *

"Avery!" 

The white haired boy looked up, his one eye brightening as it fell on Sora's form standing in the doorway. "Sora! You're alive." He smiled sweetly.

"Yeah," Sora shifted, nervous and a touch embarrassed. "Um, why are you tied up?"

Avery nodded toward Lance, sitting silently on the bed, and affected a hurt look. "They don't like me." He gazed up at Sora, wide eyed and plaintive.

The woodcutter shook his head, still groggy, not ready to start yet another long day. "He's a werewolf, Sora. I'm guessing he didn't bother to tell you." his voice was laced with tired scorn for deceitful canines.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know species identification was a prerequisite to friendship." Avery snapped, expression morphing into narrow eyed annoyance.

"A werewolf?" Sora looked back and forth between them, not quite believing. "But, how... I mean, does it matter? he's been real nice to me..."

Lance sighed, staring at his feet, "Werewolves are dangerous."

"Specieist." came the mutter from the floor.

Sora's eyes darkened, "I'm dangerous."

"They kill livestock too," Taylor offered. He was in the hall, watching. "And occasionally people. That one's rumored to be a chicken thief, if I'm not mistaking. They've been trying to catch him for months."

"A rumor? You tied him up because of a rumor? Its not fair. Its not right."

"Yeah, werewolves are humanoid too."

Lance threw his hands up, "All right, all right." He took a small knife from his belt and cut the shadow ropes binding Avery's hands. It wasn't really a difficult decision. He didn't like thieves or murderers or wolves very much, but he hadn't been so sure about hauling the boy back to town to be burned to death or locked away, no matter what the laws might say.

Avery beamed, rubbing his wrists. "Wonderful. Now how about we order the ex-prisoner tea and doughnuts?"

* * *

Riku remained quiet throughout the werewolf liberation efforts, preferring to sulk in a dark corner and wait for everyone to go away. He was tired, and although he had materialized clean clothes, he still felt filthy. 

"So what do you plan to do now, Sora?" Taylor had moved to sit on the bed. He had ordered the tea, which only him and Avery felt like drinking, but neglected pastries.

Riku lifted his head slighting, focusing briefly on the tailor before shifting his attention to Sora, waiting for the boy's response.

The keybearer half-shrugged, "I need to find the keyhole to this word, and lock it."

"You've got to be kidding." Mary slumped against the bed, too stubborn to sleep, too tired to keep her eyes open.

Sora shrugged again, "That's how it goes. I go to a world, find the keyhole, and lock the heartless out of the world's core. If I don't, eventually, it disappears. The world disappears, I mean, it gets destroyed from the inside."

"Sounds serious." Taylor didn't look particularly serious, "the core, huh?" "Yea, do you know it?" The brunette perked up.

"No, I actually don't. Diamond might though, we'll have to pay him a visit."

"Diamond!"

"We?"

Avery laughed over the complaints, unreasonably amused.

"You're not really taking him to Diamond?" Mary sat up straight, glancing over Sora, "I don't think he's quite ready for that."

"What?" Sora cocked his head, confused... again.

"What do you mean we'll have to go visit him? Thank you for your help, really. But Sora and I can handle this." Riku had also straightened. He didn't think he could stand spending any more time smothered by Sora's new friends. "We know what we're doing."

"Right, you know what you're doing. Like wandering around aimlessly in the woods and chatting with werewolves and almost getting eaten! Yeah, you really know what you're doing." Mary glared, fully wakened by anger.

Riku stared back. Fire and ice met in their gazes, both furious in their own way.

Taylor talked over them. "He lives just on the other side of town, I can show you while we wait for Mrs. Lawrence to make her infuriated way here."

Mary paled at the mention of her mother, breaking away from the staring match and standing hurriedly, "Let's go!"

A hand on her arm held her still. "I don't think so." Lance looked down at his little sister, eyes tired but set, "you will stay here and wait for Mother."

Mary turned pleading eyes on Taylor, "Do I really have to stay?"

He shrugged, "Sorry, dear, your brother makes the rules. Say 'hello' to your mother for me." He patted her on the head. "Let's go friends." He gestured to the door, waiting for the group to file out.

* * *

Anti Sora scowled at the dirt floor of the barn. He felt awful, his head was pounding and the evening hadn't gone as planned. He had meant to stay cool and aloof. To catch the interest of his polite Riku-shaped counterpart by suddenly acting distant. A few drinks and all that had fallen through. Remington had been perfectly ignoring him and chatting up the waitress instead. It made the Sora clone see red. 

The next part hadn't been so much of a plan as a jealous retaliation. He drug Remi outside, stomped around him once, glaring furiously, and kissed him. The other heartless, after a moment of shocked stillness, had shoved him away with a sneer and stared back at him with flat emotionless eyes that made him look exactly like Riku.

Anti Sora had been forced to hit him.

Naturally, Remington The Perfect had not retaliated, choosing instead to look down on Anti Sora, which he somehow managed to do even while lying in the dust, before pulling himself to his feet and walking away.

It was awful. Worse than the embarrassment and the jealousy and the anger was the horrible guilt. God, he hated feeling guilty.

* * *

He sat by himself upstairs, sucking thoughtfully on a stick of rock candy and making decisions. It would be an easy enough thing to prevent, and he certainly had enough reasons. But then there was that sense of being watched, a threat that seemed to hang in the air, displayed in the way the shadows grew darker every day. 

He gazed at the floor, at the gold tracings in the crimson rug. Stared until he could see they way the threads shifted and leaned, until he could find the pattern like eyes that always seemed to be there now, following him. He made his decision.

"Tom, Robert. Tidy up the living room, we're going to have guests." His voice carried, not unpleasantly, throughout the house.

Diamond stood up, wide legged pants sweeping out like a skirt around him, and left the room.

He needed to start the tea, it wouldn't do to be unprepared.


End file.
